


Till The Last Starlight

by Natari_55



Category: South Park
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alien Queen Red, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Alternate Universe - Space, Angst, Blood, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Bounty Hunter Kyle, Character Death, Cyborg Kenny, Death of innocent people, Execution, F/F, Ice Sniper Wendy, M/M, Main Ship is Staig!, Marine Craig, Mecha Scott, Mecha Timmy, Minor Character Death, Robo Bebe, Slow Burn, South Park: Phone Destroyer AU, War, mention of past Cromas, most will be what they are in phone destroyer, phone destroyer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:21:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 85,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24882217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Natari_55/pseuds/Natari_55
Summary: Craig Tucker was a Space Marine Soldier who lived a normal life in Sector ten, occasionally going to a bar with his friend and enjoying his life. The war that was going on all around the universe and the Rebellion that was fighting against ‘The Unity Of The Universe’ was not in his interest. Until the rebels got in contact with him to ask him for help: They needed him to break into a laboratory to safe a living being that would be abused as a weapon by the government. No one told him that said being looked like a human and would get him into trouble that would chase them around the universe.And no one told him how much his heart would suffer during this journey.
Relationships: Bebe Stevens/Wendy Testaburger, Christophe "The Mole"/Gregory of Yardale, Karen McCormick/Tricia Tucker, Kyle Broflovski/Kenny McCormick, Stan Marsh/Craig Tucker, Tweek Tweak/David Rodriguez
Comments: 31
Kudos: 49





	1. Welcome To The New World

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my next Work in Progress Fanfiction!
> 
> IMPORTANT INFORMATION about the continuation of this fic at the end notes! Please read!
> 
> This chapter is not Beta-Read so please forgive mistakes!

‘Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.’ Those were the words of a famous physicist named Albert Einstein, he was a genius for the people that lived on the earth at that time and also years later he was looked up to by scientists and other physicists. What that man didn’t know was the fact that only two hundred years later his theory was proven right when another species came to the small planet to show them the true possibilities in this universe. Both parts of his theory were right, sadly.

Those so called Aliens helped humanity to become even greater than they already were, spreading out over the Milky Way and then later throughout the whole universe, or at least what they already explored. It got so far that they first got part of the universal court and later took over the government in their own galaxy until they created ‘The Unity Of The Universe’, short UOU. The UOU is a governmental system where different species work together as one to let peace rule over the entire universe, as much as this is possible at least.

But not everyone was happy about the newly existence of the UOU, other inhabitants of the cosmos started protests, talking about how the government wanted to control everyone. Soon those rumors and theories spread and turned into whispers about racism and complete control of all species. No one was surprised when the first citizens of different planets started to fight back against the police and even less were surprised when only a week after the first riots the government introduced their own army. They said they use them to protect the innocent people who get involved in the wars and to bring peace, but not everyone believed it.

Just a few months after the first inferences of the army people started to talk about a group of rebels, angry about the way the government treated the population of the universe and about the ridicules rules they made up. More people started to believe and the different races came together to take the government out which was now dealing not only with the planets which didn’t want to obey but with the rebellion that grew. Those fights kept on and many people on the different sides died or were captured for information but most citizens believed the government and so it was just a matter of time for the government to win.

Craig Tucker, a soldier of the Space Marine with the specialty of ranged combat and flying, was on his way home after returning from an outside mission. With his twenty-three years he was one of the few who were good enough in fighting to be sent outside already, working with a team of professionals to win the war. His last mission was a hard one, his team and he had to get into one of the worst war zones with the instructions to capture one of the leaders and get them into prison for questioning. They underestimated their enemies, got lured into a trap and two of his ten men were killed and one heavily injured, he was in the hospital at the moment, fighting for his life. Another obstacle was that they got wrong information about the target; their informant said he would be human but he was a Cyborg, much harder to win against. In the end they didn’t have a chance and had to kill him with a shot through the chest with Craig’s blaster, they would have died otherwise.

Finally arriving in Sector Ten, one of the many sectors with apartments for people to live in, he groaned when he thought about the many steps he had to climb to get to his own apartment door. With heavy steps, not only because he was tired but because of the metal boots he always wore for dangerous missions, he slowly walked up the metal stairway outside the building. Sector ten was known for being one of the poorer sectors of the giant city he and millions of other creatures lived in. You would think someone of the army would earn a lot to live in one of the better Sector like four or five, that the government would make sure that he has a more comfortable life, but no, they didn’t care. Only ‘important’ people got into those sectors or even better ones where everyone had a lift to their floor, a pool and own butlers but to belong to those people you either had to be born into the right family, be on the highest rank in the army or be an important politician. Craig was only a soldier so he got a more rundown apartment in a more dangerous part of the giant city with enough money to survive through the month and enjoy his usual miserable live a bit.

With a heavy sigh leaving his throat he opens the heavy metal door of his apartment with a loud creak, he really needed to oil this one, and with a few more steps he was finally home. Without a second thought he got out of his boots and freed himself from his heavy uniform, happy to put it back into the closet for a few weeks. Normally after such a dangerous mission he would go to easier ones where it was enough to wear the normal uniform where moving was much easier and that was way more comfortable. The black-haired man roamed through one of his drawers to pull out some briefs and escaped into the bathroom where he forced himself in the too small shower. Before switching on the water he decided that he could need some distraction from the heavy silence and got his phone to play the radio.

Once he found a channel he liked he pulled on the heat regulator of his shower, knowing that the water will most likely start to get hot after a few minutes when he was almost ready. But Craig needed the heat now and was ready to wait for it when he had to. So while listening to a song from a Cyborg band he started to wash his hair with the cold water that was dripping down on his greasy hair and stained body. He was happy to finally being able to use shampoo again, having missed it for almost two months while washing himself in either very cheap motels or rivers. Even thou he complained more often than not about the cheap apartment and inconveniences that came with it he was happy he had a place to call his home. People in Sectors lower than thirteen lived most likely on the streets, fighting for their survival every day and most likely become the criminals and scum that tried to rob the healthier Sectors.

Everyone knew that it was the duty of the Government to make sure everyone lived a good life and not starve to death in the middle of the street, but those people were currently sitting at their pool while drinking the most expensive alcohol. Craig could understand why people were angry, he was angry too and fed up with the bullshit the government was pulling, but he got his money from them and his sister went to school to get into the army too. He couldn’t risk to be pulled into this rebellion bullshit. When the cold water turned hot Craig hissed lightly, he was already washing out the shampoo from his hair when he heard something interesting coming from his phone.

_“Today we got information and a video from an unknown source about the government transporting something fragile towards the gates of South Eusum. The video shows how people in military clothes load something heavy, most likely ice, into a transporter before leaving with an escort. The anonymous provider of the video wrote that they will most likely bring it to Sector two and that it probably involves another plan to win the long ongoing war.”_

Craig raised an eyebrow at that, it was rare that the Medias listened to the stuff rebels told them but he had to admit that is sounded suspicious. Why would the military escort a giant ice cube to Sector two, the one where scientists made tests and invent new weapons? But it didn’t involve Craig and the second the music continued to play the thought was gone. He felt the hot water that dropped down on him, washing away all the back pain like rain would wash away blood. And only a few minutes later he got out of his narrow bathroom in the briefs he took before, hair mostly dried and the towel around his neck.

With a loud sigh he let himself fall down on his bed, another thing he was thankful for having and the most expensive one in the room. Craig looked up at the ceiling, watching little patches of mould growing there like rash on someone’s skin and he wrinkled his nose in disgust. He took his phone to check the internet for a way to get rid of the unwelcome mold when it started to vibrate and a picture of his sister took over the screen. Before taking the call he sit up and then slid over the green little phone. “Hey Tricia,” he said, looking at the hologram of his younger sister who was wearing her school uniform.

“Hey Emo,” she answered, grinning widely when she heard her brother groan loudly in annoyance. It was just a fucking Phase and he was sick of hearing his sister making fun of it. “So you’re back?”

“Yeah, just took a shower to get rid of all the dirty and sweat.”

“Uhg, don’t tell me.” Craig just flipped her off and the action made her chuckle. “I got my test back and the result about the authorization to participate in the Entrance Examination to become of pilot and sniper at the end of the year,” she announced while looking at her nails.

“So, first the result of the test and then about the authorization,” Craig demands while getting up and walking into the small kitchen to get himself a glass of milk from his refrigerator. He opened the cupboard and took out a glass before filling it with the white fluid.

“Tadaa!” Tricia cheered, holding the test with a full score in front of the phone camera proudly, it turning into a hologram immediately. Her brother took said Hologram into his hand like it was really there and looked over it, checking the questions and given answers of them.

“Hundred of Hundred, I’m a bit impressed,” he admitted before taking a gulp of his milk, “And you got a smiley because you answered the bonus question, you Nerd.”

“Don’t be jealous just because you are too dumb to understand it all,” she mocked, knowing that the noirette was just as good as her in all this, most likely even better. Craig didn’t finish military school early for no reason. “And I am allowed to participate in the entrance examination.” Tricia grinned loudly while her brother growled lightly, letting go of the hologram text and it dissolved immediately.

Craig hoped that Tricia wouldn’t make it into the entrance examination, he didn’t care about her working for the Space Marine as a sniper but the thought of his little sister becoming a pilot worried him. “Tricia, you know how I think about this pilot bullshit.”

“Come on Craig, I won’t die out there, I’m good in what I am doing and you are a pilot too!”

“Yes, but I only flied once and it was the only one fitting to me. I didn’t make the decision to become a pilot, my teacher did this for me and I hated it. You know I don’t like the thought of you flying because of what happened to Mom and Dad.” Thomas and Laura Tucker were proud members of the Space Marine and their main task field was flying the planes in war zones. One day Thomas was steering one of the jets while Laura was shooting at the enemies at the end of said machine when they got hit by an enemy, resulting in the jet to lose one wing and crashing against another one. Needles to say they exploded and none of them survived it; Craig was thirteen when an Officer of the Space Marine came into his classroom to talk with him outside, explaining that his parents will never come back home. “…I don’t want to get news of your death, too.” He mumbled almost to himself and Tricia’s eyes softened.

“Oh Craig… I’m sorry but there is a reason for me to become a pilot, just trust me.”

“What reason?”

She swallowed heavily and glanced around herself before shaking her head lightly. “I can’t tell you yet, just that it’s important.“ Craig exhaled heavily, knowing that it wouldn’t help to pester his sister about the topic, he just hoped they wouldn’t accept her and that she’d fail the needed tests. “Are you going out tonight?”

“Yeah, I wanted to go to the usual club, maybe there’s someone I can find for the night.”

“Wear the black tight jeans I gave you last Christmas, with them you surly won’t leave alone,” she winked at him, wearing a big grin on her lips. “I bet there will be sooo many new guys, maybe even one of those tentacle aliens that can do those freaky stuff in the bedro-“ A loud knock against the metal door interrupted her and Craig looked up, thankful for the interruption.

“I need to hang up now but I will call you soon. Bye,” he ended the call fast after she waved him, Tricia never said Goodbye, it was the last thing she said before their parents died. Another loud knock and Craig made his way to the door, opening it without any trouble but flinching by the creak.

“Heyo Craig!” Butters, one of the lower ranked soldiers, greeted him. He wore his uniform, something cheap because he was mostly used to deliver news to others or to stop small crimes on the street like a normal Police Officer did. His blonde hair stood up and moved lightly in the cold night wind.

“Hey Butters,” Craig greeted back while leaning against the doorframe and noticing the small blush on his colleague. That’s when Craig noticed that he was still only in his briefs and Butters wasn’t used of seeing naked skin of others, growing up in a house where sex was a bad word. “What is it?”

“Sorry for disturbing you so late at night,“ it was just around ten pm but it was butters talking, “and just after returning from your last mission but I got new orders from up there.”

The yellow eyes of Craig widened and he pushed himself away from the doorframe, annoyed by the news his smaller friend gave him. “Orders? I just got home!”

“I know and I’m sorry but.. geez, it’s really hard to say this after seeing you back for such a long time, but it seems like they need you tomorrow to guard something.”

“Tomorrow?!” Craig yelled angrily, noticing the other wince but not caring about this. “I usually have a few days off after such a long mission! I need a break!”

“I know that, Craig, but they seem to not care…” Butters mumbled, his blue eyes wide in apology. “I’m really sorry, tomorrow at six am, the usual clothes for guard missions.” Craig just nodded and watched the blonde leave before walking back inside, slamming the door behind him and moaning while falling into his bed head first.

The soldier just got back from a two months mission and thought he would get at least two weeks off to regain some sleep and energy before getting back to work. It usually was like that, sometimes his breaks were longer and sometimes shorter, depending on the level of the mission and the length. He did fuck up this one after not getting two people killed and losing the target but they never punished him by shorting his break or canceling them completely. With a defeated sigh he pushed himself back up, accepting his faith because he wouldn’t be able to do anything against it anyway.

He made his way to his closet, pulling out the black jeans his sister mentioned before and putting it on with a white shirt and a black jeans jacket. Before leaving he put on his blue chullo and grabbed his belonging like purse and phone, only the necessary, then he made his way down the stairs. To get to the club he always went to because most people there were either gay or bisexual he had to walk through some alleys, ignoring the crackheads who either asked for drugs or wanted to sell them. After a ten minute walk he could see the colorful lights that spread around the club, inviting people like light invited mosquitoes, promising sweet drinks and a partner for one night.

Instead of going to the end of the line like the others Craig went straight to the door, glad to see Kevin standing there. “Yo Kev,” he greeted the older man while lifting his arm, happy to see him smiling back and clutching his hand into the other’s.

“You’re back?” The brunette asked while showing of his teeth, a big gap in the middle of the upper row displaying his trade mark. “And now you want to hunt for some asses tonight?” Kevin teased. Kevin McCormick was one of Craig’s many ex lovers and even thou Craig usually hunt for just one night stands because he didn’t have the time for relationships, he tried it with the oldest McCormick. Why? Craig didn’t know, Kevin was five years older than him and had a problematic past full with nights in the police station and drug and alcohol abuse. Maybe Craig was just an idiots, looking for someone more mature than him when he dated him with twenty or it was the fact that after a year of friendship he finally opened up to him.

Kevin’s parents died when he was fifteen and, other than Craig, he didn’t get help from the government after their death. He had to take care of his little brother and sister who were eleven and six at that time, so he stopped going to school and worked instead. The McCormick parents were alcohol and drug addicts, spending all their money on it instead of food or a good house, that lead them to Sector thirteen with the most rundown houses and apartments. When Carol and Stuart McCormick died Kevin made sure that they won’t get into a lower Sector, knowing that the either wouldn’t survive this or even worse that someone would simply abuse them.

When Kevin was twenty-three his eighteen year old brother accepted to be turned into a Cyborg by a scientist so he could work more and gain more money for his family. But instead of actually helping his brother out Kenny McCormick became a criminal, wanted by the law with not only the government but also Bounty Hunters after his head. The crime was that he used his new gained powers, robotic legs and arms, to steal because apparently no one wanted a Cyborg, even all those years later people were racists. Angry about all this he joined the rebellion and helped them to succeed in a lot of missions against the government, so his bounty is one of the highest. Kevin had problems to deal with it, he didn’t see his brother for years and missed him but thanks to the money he got from him sometimes, send in by an anonymous letter, and the help of Big Gay Al who gave him and his sister jobs, they were able to move into Sector ten and live a better life.

“Well, I hope so,” Craig finally answered after getting lost in his thoughts for a second, smiling up at his ex boyfriend, “But I got a new mission tomorrow so probably not.”

Kevin rose his brown eyebrows in surprise. “A mission?” He shouted because the loud music from inside vibrated between them when someone opened the door. “When did you get back?”

“An hour ago,” Craig answered by yelling into Kevin’s ear, getting closer to him and pressing himself against the slightly taller man. They stayed friends after Kevin broke up with Craig and sometimes spend the night together when both were a little buzzed and Craig needed someone to take control for a few hours. It happened rarely, but it still happened.

“Seriously?” Questioned the brunette with a raised eyebrow, a little bit of anger coming through. “Well I won’t stop you then, go inside.” With a wide grin and a pat on the doorman’s shoulder Craig walked through the entrance door, happy to hear the people waiting groan loudly.

Inside the music was blasting and Craig could feel the floor under him vibrating, sending a light shiver of excitement down his spine. With his hands in his pockets he made his way to the bar, sitting down on his usual seat and watching the people dancing, most of them already drunk. The lights flickered around him in different colors, illuminating the different people in them and making them bath in violet, blue, red and sometimes green. He noticed Karen, Kevin’s younger sister, walking around to gather the different glasses that were abandoned on the small tables, all of them empty. Karen was the best Bartender of the club, even winning against Big Gay Al, the owner, himself, not only because her drinks were simply perfect but also because she made a real show out of mixing them. Everyone was impressed and the guests kept trying to flirt with the nineteen year old, not knowing that she had a giant crush on no one else but Craig’s little sister. 

“Craig, is that you?” heard the noirette someone cooing behind him and when he turned around it was Al, smiling at him with his typical shirt and blue thin scarf around his throat. “Darling, it has been some time!”

“Hey Al,” he greeted the older man, leaning on the bar so he wouldn’t need to shout too much. “Got back from a mission today, sorry for not telling before.”

“We were so worried, boy,” explained the man whose skin was tanned into a fake bronze tone, his hand was resting on his cheek while shaking his head lightly, “We thought something happened, but Kyle told us that you must be on some mission.”

“Yeah, it came a bit sudden and I didn’t have the time to come here before,” Craig smiled lightly when Al gave him his favorite drink, shaking his head when the noirette wanted to pay him.

“Don’t need to pay, honey, this one’s on the house for our little hero who’s out there saving the galaxy for us,” Al smiled at the younger man, lifting his own glass up to emphasize his praising and Craig shook his head in disbelief. Before he could take a sip of his drink he felt a hand clapping on his shoulder and shortly after a person sitting down next to him.

“Hear hear, getting some praises?” The soldier recognized the voice immediately and was confirmed of his suspicion when he looked to his right, green eyes looking back at him with eyebrows up to the hairline in amusement.

“As if you wouldn’t enjoy it in my place, Broflovski,” groaned Craig in light amusement, finally lifting his drink to his mouth to take a big gulp from it and enjoying the burn that ran down his throat like lava running down harsh rocks. After taking a few more sips he lowered the glass back on the counter, turning to Kyle whose head was resting in one of his hands, watching the other man with his body turned to him.

“Al,” the redhead started before turning his body around, glancing at Al for a second with a serious face, “Make me one of those two, but the special one.” Craig noticed how Big Gay Al froze for a second, frowning back at the younger man sitting on the bar stool before starting to mix the drink as smooth as usual. The noirette was confused but before he could voice his thoughts the bounty hunter spoke up again. “When is the next time you have to go to work?”

“Tomorrow, I have to guard something but don’t know what.”

“You poor pig,” Kyle chuckled lightly while lighting a cigarette in his mouth, inhaling the toxic smoke before exhaling it again with a low sigh.

“Not everyone can work as freely as you, bounty hunter. There are people out here who do actual work,” Craig mocked, knowing that Kyle wouldn’t take it to heart; both were used of the scoffing of the other one.

“Ah yeah, guarding some politician while they sit on their high throne is more work than travelling through the galaxy to get some murderer, sure,” snickered the redhead, nodding at Al thankfully when he got his drink presented. He picked the glass up and took a short sip before glancing at the man next to him. Craig shivered lightly when the green eyes bored into him.

Craig broke the suddenly uncomfortable silence, not standing those eyes that shone like poison. “Why are you even here, I thought you have a boyfriend?”

“I do, but he’s okay with me to meet up with my dumb gay friends in their favorite Queer club.”

Craig held back a small laugh before answering him. “Who are your friends?”

“Funny, Tucker,” chuckled Kyle, putting the glass back down on the paper coaster. “But seriously, he’s a good guy and can understand when I go to those charming clubs to meet my friends,” he stated.

The blackhead nodded lightly before emptying his glass, turning back to his friend completely to talk to him. “When will I meet him?”

“I don’t know, he’s kinda… special? I don’t know how to explain it, he just isn’t someone you meet on the street and like after some talking.”

“Oh God, please don’t tell me it’s Butters,” The soldier pleaded, not wanting to imagine Kyle being the boyfriend of this annoying blonde.

“What?!” Kyle almost yelled in shock, now turning to Craig too with a hint of disgust in his face, “of course not! Butters isn’t my type! God, I thought you know me, Craig.” The redhead groaned while shaking his head, hand on his forehead to emphasize how stupid Craig’s statement was. “No, it’s someone else, okay? There is a reason why he can’t just show himself in public and meet you.”

“Is he ugly?”

“I swear by Moses that I will punch you by the next stupid words that come out of your mouth.”

Craig was silent, thinking a bit before opening his mouth again. “Is he _super_ ugl-“ Before he could finish Kyle knocked him on the head, not strong enough to cause any serious harm but to leave Craig with at least a small headache. “I’m sorry!” He laughed lightly, holding his arm up to stop another hit on the head. When said hit never came he looked back at his friend, surprised when he saw the seriousness in those normally carefree eyes. “What…? Is he… sick?”

Kyle glanced around nervously before pulling his bar stool closer to Craig so they can have a more private talk, making it look like they would simply flirt with one another. He leaned in, their faces only a bit apart but close enough that Craig could feel the hot breath of his friend on his own lips. Before starting to talk Kyle took a deep breath, holding the cold glass between his hands. “My boyfriend is part of the rebellion.” It was a simple sentence, short and self explaining and the redhead said it with such monotony like he would say that his boyfriend is an office worker.

But it wasn’t that simple.

Craig stared at the counter of the bar and watched Al taking his empty glass to clean it, waiting for Kyle to continue and deep down hoping that this was just some really bad joke. But Kyle never laughed and it was very rare that the Jewish man made jokes about serious stuff like the Rebellion. With a light tremor in his voice the soldier decided to speak up. “Kyle,” he started, wetting his lips with his tongue which suddenly felt so dry and when he wanted to order another drink the redhead simply shoved his own in front of him. After a long swig he found the strength to continue. “Are you an idiot?” He snapped lightly and Kyle just rolled his eyes. “When they catch you being in a relationship with someone of the damn rebellion they will fucking execute you!”

“They won’t catch us, they’re looking for him for years now and never had a chance of catching him and they don’t know about me being with him. And he would never hand me over to them, not even when it would cost his life,” the sternness in his eyes made Craig almost believe him but what Kyle was doing was one of the most dangerous things someone could do.

He leaned back and stroked his hand through his black hair, groaning at the thought of dealing with this. “Wait, now that I know they could get me too!” He hissed at his friend, or maybe not anymore friend. “Why did you tell me?! You could have just lied your way out but you’re pulling me down with you instead!”

Before Kyle answered the soldier he slid the coaster where his drink was placed before in front of Craig, showing him a time and some words written down on it. “They want your help.”

“What?!” Craig almost cried out but was able to hold down his voice. “What do you mean? Why?!”

“Because of your position you will be working on from now on,” Kyle stated, lightly glancing away like he’d done something bad, something that could get Craig in trouble.

“Wait… You know about my new mission, what it is, right?!” With a heavy sigh from Kyle the noirette felt confirmed. “Is it also your fault that I have to start working so soon after coming back from my mission?” Sneered Craig, angry at his not-anymore-friend for doing this to him.

“I told them that I had a friend working as a soldier in the Space Marine,” Kyle confessed, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and index finger and feeling bad for what he did to his friend with that. “They hacked themselves into their system and made sure that you are getting into the job so they could have an inside man when you agree to help them.”

Craig wanted to scream, wanted to shout at his friend and verbalize how angry he was at him but instead he took the glass again and emptied it as fast as never before. Afterwards he took deep and heavy breathes, thinking about what to do now and how to react to the given situation. For a split second he thought about telling the government and handing Kyle it but that thought was faster gone than being finished. Yes, Kyle did pull him into a giant pile of bullshit but he surly didn’t want to harm his friend. And even thou Craig would probably get more money and a higher rank for giving them someone of the rebellion, he also was sure that they would force him to watch his execution and the thought alone was worse than everything he had ever seen.

“…What is the job?” He simply mumbled while looking at the empty glass and ignoring the writing on the coaster for now.

Green eyes shot up and stared at the side of Craig’s face before he nodded lightly and began to explain. “You have to guard a door, making sure no one without authorization enters the room behind it.” When a black eyebrow rose and showed the confusion on Craig the redhead continued. “You heard about that giant ice cube the military is escorting here?” A nod. “My boyfriend explained me that inside is some kind of weapon, one of the most dangerous weapons that ever existed and the government wants to use it to win the war. We can’t let them do it.”

“So, what exactly should I do?”

“I don’t know,” the smaller man leaned back, watching the soldier look at him with a perplexed face. “He didn’t tell me because I’m apparently too new in the rebellion, the higher ups don’t trust me enough to give me that information.” Kyle rolled his eyes again at the stupidity of this logic, “And they want to give you time to think about it, when you decide to not help them then they will make sure to get you out of the job in a week. But when you want to help,” the bounty hunter slowly rose from the stool to step behind his chullo wearing friend and placed his hands on his shoulder, leaning down to whisper in his ear. “You come back here, a woman with black hair will sit at my usual seat and wait for you. The times she’s here and the words you need to say to her so she knows who you are and you are accepting are written on the coaster. It’s okay for Al when you take it home with you.”

The yellow eyes widen lightly, finally realizing that his friend Big Gay Al was part of the rebellion, too. That ‘special’ Kyle ordered before was the Coaster with the information written on it and when Al’s and Craig’s gaze met the older man winked at him knowing. Kyle leaned back up and turned around to leave but was stopped when he felt a hand holding onto the sleeve of his leather coat. “…What will they do when I hand them out?”

Green eyes rested on the darker skinned hand that clutched the fabric tightly, trembling lightly. “Then they will punish me for it.” That was all Kyle needed to say for Craig to understand and he let go of him, finally letting his red haired friend leave the night club with the sticky air. Craig leaned forward, resting his arms on the counter of the bar and leaning his head in his folded hands, thinking about what happened just now. Kyle was in a relationship with someone of the rebellion and now he was part of that group, too. He thought about who else of his friends was probably part of them, knowing that Al was also meant that most likely Chef, who worked in the kitchen and made sure that everyone had something to eat, was part too. Karen and Kevin, maybe, their brother was one of the most wanted rebellion members after all and the McCormick siblings were loyal towards each other.

With a heavy sigh Craig slipped the coaster inconspicuous into his jacket pocket before standing up, nodding at Al before leaving the building and waving Kevin goodbye. His head started to hurt by the thought of climbing up those metal stairs again.

With a loud and tired yawn Craig walked past the giant gate to Sector three where he would meet his superiors who instruct him about his tasks for the next few days. He wore his lighter gear, knowing that he wouldn’t be in too much danger as long as no one would be stupid enough to actually try and break into the scientist lab. Idiots like those rarely existed, but they existed nonetheless, yet Craig was never scared of them. Tired eyes were looking around before he found Scott Malkinson with Timmy Burch, two Mechapilots of the Space Marine and he wondered why they would be here.

“Timmy!” Timmy yelled happily when he noticed Craig who smiled lightly at the man in the wheelchair. Even thou he didn’t look like it Timmy was one of the best Mechapilots in history, his inability to really move around and talk made him live out the chances he had when he was in his mecha unit. With his blue white 035 he was almost invincible and moved him like he’d be his real body while his actual real one was simply a prison.

“Morning Timmy, Scott,” the soldier greeted when he arrived by them, holding his laser gun near his chest, “What are you doing here?”

“We are waiting for instructions,” lisped Scott, his tongue poking out while looking at the other man. Both were wearing their tight pilot bodysuits, Timmy his blue white one and Scott his green yellow one, both proud.

“Me too,” Craig declared while scratching his nose, forcing down another yawn that tried to escape. Of course the noirette didn’t sleep much the last night, thinking about what Kyle told him in the club with such a serious expression that Craig gave up the hope he had of all this being a giant joke. What disturbed him most were the last words of the redhead, that they would punish him instead of Craig when the soldier would hand them out. He was sure that he saw a glimpse of fear in those usual fearless green eyes. Craig would make sure that Kyle was save, he maybe won’t help the rebellion but he won’t tell them out, accepting that he’d be the one to suffer when the military would find out about his knowledge.

“Soldiers!” Roared a loud voice through the air suddenly, making all three jump slightly at the vibrating of the yell reached them. “At attention!” And immediately the three stood straight next to each other, well, except of Timmy, he was sitting in his wheelchair but tried as hard as possible to straighten his back. Mrs. Nelson, one of the Space Marine Generals, walked towards them while wearing only the uniform made out of soft fabric, the one to walk around in free time to signalize that yes, she was important in the Military and proud of her work.

“Soldiers,” the older woman continued, her voice strong while her body was lean and small, “Today you three will get new instructions for an important mission inside of Sector two and around. Mr. Malkinson and Mr. Burch, you two will make your way to your Mecha Units and get new instructions from PC Principle,” she explained to the two pilots, nodding to show them they could leave. Then her eyes found Craig’s face who was frowning lightly. “Tucker, you will come with me into Sector Two where Dr. Alphonse Mephesto is waiting for us, he wants to explain your mission himself. Come on.” Craig followed the woman’s fast steps, no problems to stay close as he was younger than her and well trained.

After walking for a few minutes the two found themselves in front of the giant doors that led into the biggest laboratory buildings of Sector two. Mephesto, the supreme Scientists of the UOU, was already waiting outside the door, a small ape like creature always by his side.

“There you are!” He greeted them while holding up his arms, a cane in one of his hands. “I’m happy to see you Mrs. Nelson and you too, Craig. I heard a lot about you.” Craig rose one of his eyebrows at the man and shook his hand when he offered. He never worked together with him but everyone knew Mephesto, this man was a genius. “We don’t have much time so let me quickly explain what to do. Mrs. Nelson, you can leave now.”

The woman nodded and glanced at Craig before leaving the two alone. Craig looked after her and then turned around to Mephesto again, his head tilted to the side lightly. “Okay Doctor, Stotch told me I have to guard something?”

“Oh yes!” The man beamed at him and clicked on a metal bracelet around his wrist. A hologram coming to live that showed some information, including pictures. “I bet you already heard in the news that we’re currently transporting something here, well, it will arrive shortly. It will be brought inside my lab and I need you to watch the gate while we work on it. This will be a permanent job for you till we find what we need. For this week you will get the shift for the day, then get two days off and get the night shift and so on and on. Burch and Malkinson are checking the sky for people of the rebellion.”

Craig nodded while listening to the man, occasionally checking the shown pictures of the ice cube that was currently transported. So that’s what they wanted to build a weapon of, maybe the thing inside the ice was some forgotten mechanism. The soldier wouldn’t think about this for now, he had enough going on in his head that will demand his time.

When he wanted to answer a load alarm went off and by the way the scientist started to wiggle around it must have announced the arrival of the weapon. “So, you know what to do Craig! Have fun!” And with those last words the door behind the soldier opened and a big truck drove towards him. Craig walked out of the way, his eyes fixed on the truck and the giant ice cube that was placed on the transport area. His eyes squinted lightly when he saw a blurred silhouette inside of it. It almost looked like.... a human? His eyebrows furrowed in confusion but when another soldier noticed it he fast turned away and got it neutral, slightly annoyed, look back.

Once the truck was completely through the gate it closed again, leaving Clyde behind. He sighed lightly and just stood there, waiting for the time to pass and the night to come so he could go home. Occasionally he could see Timmy or Scott in their Mechas, patrolling the sky to make sure no one could get near the gates. During a very bored time, when he knew what he had to get for dinner, where to get it and how exactly he would cook it, his thoughts went back to what he saw.

Inside that ice cube was something that’s silhouette looked close to the one of a human and a human was a living thing. So when that something was supposed to work as a weapon that meant that they’d use a human as a weapon. A human could refuse to do something… Unless you make sure he doesn’t want to refuse. Either by giving him something he desired or by torture. And the government wasn’t known to give presents away.

Craig knew how it worked, everyone who lived in the lower sectors knew but only a few were ready to see it and do something against it. And those few people were the rebels and they were asking Craig for help. And what did he have to lose?

The time went by and soon Craig found a routine to work with. He stood up, dressed and went to work. Shortly before nightfall he would return home, eat, take a shower and sleep. That was his daily life for the last three days but this night something was different. He dressed into a nice button up shirt and dark blue, ripped jeans and with his chullo on the head he made his way to Al’s bar. Kevin waved him in, probably knowing why he was there and winking at him with a grin.

Inside the music was as loud as usual, the lights colorful and flashing inside the room, making the people inside dance wildly. The soldier walked up to the bar and immediately noticed a young woman, probably around his age. Her black hair was up into a bun and a short black dressed adorned her lean yet muscular body. A drink was placed in her hand and she glanced around the room like she’d wait for someone. And she was waiting, Craig knew it.

He walked up to her and sat down in the chair next to her, nodding in greeting at Karen who was working behind the bar. With a glance over he slowly scooted closer to the woman, remembering the words he needed to say so she would recognize him. “Hey, freezing cold outside of the bar.” It was ridiculous, it wasn’t cold at all and even thou Craig knew that this was safe because no one else would say something like this, he felt stupid for saying it out loud.

The blackhead turned to him and nodded lightly before leaning into him to whisper in his ear. “Let’s go out and enjoy the cold then.” And with that she stood up, looking down at Craig for a brief second before walking to a door that said ‘employees only’. She didn’t wait for Craig because she didn’t have to, he was following her through the door that simply lead to the back alley.

Once outside the slightly smaller woman grabbed him and pressed him against the wall, her body against him. Craig panicked for a second, his arms finding their way to her shoulders to keep her off. “I-I am gay!” He announced, maybe she wasn’t the right one after all?

“I know, I am, too,” she answered but her body was still pressed against his, “but there are people near that would get suspicious about us talking here. Just play along for now while I explain some stuff.” With a silent groan Craig wrapped his arm around the woman and placed his mouth near her neck, pretending to kiss her. “My name is Wendy and I assume you are Craig. I am from the rebellion and we want to ask for your help. Are you ready to listen to us?” Without hesitation he nodded, he could still just leave when he didn’t was to work with them.

Wendy pulled away and glanced around, wiggling her index finger to sign him to follow him. They walked back inside and behind the bar and inside the kitchen. Chef was cooking at the stove and when he saw Craig he nodded lightly with a smile on his lip. The blackhead led Craig to a box room where Karen stood inside at with a nod from Wendy she leaned down. She pulled away a carpet that his a trap door with stairs that seemed to lead down.

Without waiting Wendy walked down, Craig still behind her. So the bar was a hidden hideout for the rebellion, Al really was a mastermind. Who would suspect one of the most popular clubs for this? Surly not the government. While walking downstairs lamps on the wall came to life, showing another door at the end of the stairs. The woman turned around with a serious look on her face. “You will get to know some of our members, the ones that will work without for the case you agree.” And again without waiting for Craig to say something she opened the door and walked through.

When the soldier stepped inside the first person he saw was no other than Kenny McCormick, the most wanted Cyborg. He was leaning on a table in the middle of the room and when he turned around to Craig he smirked lightly. There were doors that probably lad to bedrooms for them to sleep in, one probably led to a bathroom. On one of the chairs around the table sat a woman he knew as Bebe Stevens, another famous member of the rebellion. She was a robot-Cyborg, a creature that never truly was a human being. Their brains were made in laboratories and then planted into an illegally artificial baby whose body was mostly like the one of a Cyborg, almost no real human parts.

“There they are!” Her high voice declared while standing up, fast stepping closer to them. But instead of attacking Craig like he first though she would she walked to Wendy and gave her a kiss. “I was so scared that something happened, I hate it to send you out there.”

“Bebe, it’s okay,” Wendy laughed lightly while patting her friend’s, most likely girlfriend’s, back. “May I introduce you all?” Bebe stepped away and Kenny came over to them, too, standing on Wendy’s other side. “Bebe, Kenny, this is Craig Tucker,” Wendy gestured to the black haired man, “Craig this is my girlfriend Bebe Stevens and Kyle’s boyfriend Kenny.”

Wait. What?

Craig’s eyes immediately shot to Kenny, eyebrows raised at the blond Cyborg in front of him. “You are Kyle’s boyfriend?”

Kenny looked at him before a loud laugh bursted out of his mouth. “This is the first thing you ask?”

“Well,” a soft blush crept on Craig’s cheek before he coughed lightly, “Kyle talked about you and said his boyfriend was part of the rebellion, but I never would have thought that it’s Kenny McCormick, the most wanted Cyborg. Wasn’t he on the mission to catch you a month ago?”

“Oh, he did. That boy catched my heart,” the Cyborg grinned while placing his hands over his chest, most likely where his heart was. When he still had a heart, Craig didn’t know.

“Yeah, those two are annoying,” Bebe mentioned with a sigh, the smile on her lips hinting that she wasn’t serious. “Every time they’re together they can’t get their hands of each other.”

“Bebe, baby, your hand is on my butt right now,” Wendy stated.

“Yeah but, no one notices this but everyone can hear them when they make out!”

“You know what?” Craig spoke up before she could keep talking, “I don’t even care. I’m just here to listen to your offer.”

“Right, sorry,” Wendy apologized and took a deep breath, “Let’s sit down?” Craig nodded and everyone took a seat at the table, Bebe placed some papers in front of Craig. He picked them up and raised an eyebrow at them. “Paper can’t be hacked, it’s safer like that.” Okay, that sounded logical enough. He started reading through them while Bebe started to explain.

“Some weeks ago our lovely Kenny broke into the second Sector without being noticed-“

“Wait,” and Craig interrupted them already, “how? The second Sector belongs to the most guarded ones, how did he get in and out without being seen?” When everyone looked at the said blond he just shrugged, not wanting to tell them his secret because it was most likely too dangerous to be repeated by anyone. The noirette groaned at that but signed Bebe to continue.

“Okay, like I said, he broke in and was able to hack himself into the system there. In a really well hidden file he found those,” she pointed at the papers in Craig’s hand, documentations about a possible creature that could be used as a weapon. With the help of whatever is inside this cube they want to force the other planets and galaxies to obey to the UOU. They don’t know what exactly it can do or what it is, just that it’s alive and either a good weapon of a danger that has to be eliminated.”

Craig looked down at the papers and saw some writing in an ancient language, probably a dead one. Next to it were drawings of a three eyed being, the third eye placed on the forehead, around it more of the writing.

“Our leader,” Wendy continued for Bebe, ”I can’t name them yet because it’s too dangerous, wants us to free this being and bring it to them. They said that they know what it is and how to protect it and make sure it won’t be used by the government. It will be save there and be taken care of, probably brought to a place it could life normally once we know what exactly it is. But to get it out we need you.”

“After I broke into the lab and they noticed that someone stole some files,” Kenny was talking now, “they upgraded their security and we need a soldier to get inside without being noticed. That’s where you will get important.” The Cyborg pointed at Craig, “at the first day of your nightshift you will get in there with us and help to free that… something. Afterwards you will join us to get to our secret base on another planet, Kyle and some others will be waiting there for us. Of course you will be a part of the rebellion from then on, so you have some time to pack your stuff. One of our people will get it to our base, but just to be sure you should also pack a bag pack with some foot and water. For the case we can’t immediately get to our base.”

“We will also provide some flying machines, we know you’re a pilot so that shouldn’t be a problem,” Bebe mentioned with a smile. “We… We really need your help Craig, otherwise the whole universe could fall under the UOU and that would end badly for a lot of beings.”

Craig looked at them, their eyes were filled with hope and a bit of desperation. They were serious, they wanted Craig to give everything up he worked for just to join the rebellion. “…I have a sister,” Craig began, “my actions will most likely, no, it will definitely get her in trouble.”

“Oh, no problem,” Wendy pulled out her phone and placed it on the table, a hologram from a call coming to live in front of Craig. It was no other than Tricia.

“Yo idiot,” she started while flipping him off.

“Tricia?!” Craig jumped up from the chair, his eyebrow furrowed in confusion and anger. “What the-?!”

“I am part of the rebellion. Sorry for not telling you,” she shrugged while chewing on a gum in her mouth.

“Are you fucking kidding me?! Since when?!”

“I joined them when I was…. Sixteen?”

“Yep,” Bebe confirmed.

“SIXTEEN?!” Craig yelled, his hands finding his hair and grabbing it tightly for a few seconds. So, his little sister that planned to work for the government was part of the rebellion. Yeah, that sounded dumb enough for her. And he was about to be just as dumb. “Okay,” Craig loosened the grip on his hair and stroked with one hand over his face. “But when I do this they will get you, they will throw you into prison.”

“They won’t, she will be long gone before they even get near her room,” Kenny clarified, his arms crossed behind his head while he leaned back in his chair. “She and my sister will fly to the hideout the night we break in. They’re the ones who will pick up your stuff, so don’t worry.”

Craig took another deep breath before sitting down again, his thumb and index finger rubbing over his eyes. So his little sister was a part of the rebellion and would flee the night the break-in happens. With a load groan the soldier, soon ex-soldier, crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked around at the others. Tricia was looking at him too, one eyebrow raised in anticipation. “Okay, I’m in.”

“Really?!” Wendy almost yelled with a smile on her face, relieved to hear him say this. “That’s wonderful! Thank you Craig, I know with your help we will be able to help that being.” With a nod and a thumb up from Tricia they started to plan how everything should work out.

Craig kept going to work like usual, he watched his friends in their Mechas and endured the sun that shone down on him. He kept greeting other soldiers and talked to them when they had their breaks. Everything was normal until the weekend. He spent those two days to pack up his belonging, making sure everything he needed would be there. His clothes, personal belongings and other stuff were packed in suitcases while food, water and a new phone he got from Wendy were in a small bag pack. He placed the backpack in front of his door; Kenny would come to pick it up later since he couldn’t take it along to his shift.

With a new found energy and a bit of nervousness he made his way down the stairs and walked to the Sector two. He was wearing the light uniform like usual, the only addition was his partly mechanical blue chullo. At the gate Kevin Stoley waited for him, ready to finish his shift and retreat. “Tucker!” He waved slowly at him and sighed when Craig stepped next to him. “Finally, I’m so fucking hungry.” Kevin lifted a device to Craig who lifted his own, they scanned each others to announce the change of the shift.

“Sucks that we can’t take breaks,” mumbled Craig who was taller than Kevin, waiting for the peeping of his device to make sure it registered.

“Yup, but everything for the safety of our people,” the smaller one said proudly, the devices finally peeping so that they could put them away. “Right?”

“Uh hu, sure,” said the other and getting into the spot where Kevin stood before, placing his blaster in his hands. With a nod Kevin left him alone and soon after the sun set completely a dying silence spread around him. It was around two in the morning when he noticed figures walking closer, some of them walking backwards to make sure no one was around. “Hey.”

“Yo, Craigory,” Kenny mocked him, a grin wide on his lips before throwing the backpack at him. Craig was able to catch it and put it on, eyeing Wendy and Bebe.

“What happened with the Mechas?”

“Oh, they won’t be able to be moved tonight,” Bebe snickered with a wide smile, “Ken and I made sure of that, don’t worry.”

Wendy checked the area around them before looking at the others with a serious frown on her face. “Alright, everyone ready?” They all nodded in response. “Craig, you left all your technical devices at home so they can’t hunt you down?” Another nod. “Good, then let’s get in there, the airships are waiting for us at the planned position.”

Craig nodded and turned around to the gate, walking over to the intercom, the others standing next to it against the wall. The blackhead pressed on the button and waited a few seconds before an annoyed voice came out. _“Who’s there?!”_

“Craig Tucker, Space Marine Soldier and current guard. I have to ask for permission to enter the gate because of an emergency. My weapon isn’t working and I should bring it in for a fast check up,” lied the soldier, he knew that whoever was on the other side watched him over a small cam so his face stayed neutral the whole time. After a bit of grumbling the voice gave its okay and the gate opened.

The small group entered fast and followed Kenny from there on because he knew the way to the room thanks to a downloaded map from last time. All of them had their weapons eyed, ready to start shooting when needed. Soon they arrived at a door with a shield that said not to disturb since people were working in there. “That’s it, everyone remembers the plan?” Kenny asked in a whisper, turning to his friends who nodded at him. “Great, good luck guys.” And without wasting another heartbeat he opened the doors, immediately shooting into the air.

Screams of horror could be heard and one of the lamps on the ceiling exploded from the Cyborg’s shooting. Craig entered after him, Bebe and Wendy staying outside because surly someone would come to arrest them. Inside the room the ice cube was shrunken down in size and the silhouette now more than that. Craig was right what he saw back then, the figure indeed looked like a human being. “Why didn’t you get him out of the ice yet?” He asked while Kenny and he walked closer to the cube.

“It’s too dangerous!” Mephesto spoke up, watching the two closely. “We don’t know how he would react and what he could do, yet, so we can’t just rip him out from there.”

“And now?” Craig asked the blonde, “We can’t transport him like that.”

“Then we will get him out,” declared Kenny while aligning his weapon on the ice cube.

“You fool!” Another scientist shouted, “Didn’t you listen?! That thing in there is dangerous!”

“That _thing_ , how you called it, looks like a human and we know your plans of using it. We won’t leave him here in your hands so you-!” Kenny was interrupted by shooting noises from outside, both turning around fast when Wendy and Bebe came inside while barricading the doors.

“Hurry up!” Bebe shouted, “They got us, we need to get out of here!”

Wendy ran up to them while looking at the ice cube. “Kenny, get him it.” And suddenly the Cyborg was shooting at the ice cube, melting away the ice that surrounded him thanks to a weapon that grasped the whole outside form of it instead of just a small spot. While Kenny was melting the eyes the doors opened, Bebe fast taking cover behind a machine a doctor was working on. Soldiers, including Kevin Stoley, Mrs. Nelson and Pc Princible (Craig never understood why he was named like that), entered and started shooting. The rebels were able to hide soon enough and shoot back, trying to buy Kenny some time.

The scientists were screaming and hiding, some were crying out of fear while others were frozen in the spot. A lot of soldiers were hit and retreated, announcing that more were to come and help out. That alarmed Craig, they wouldn’t be able to handle more than the ones that were already blocking the door. He was about to run over to Kenny when Mrs. Nelson recognized him. “Tucker?! What are you doing helping the rebels?!”

Before Craig had a chance to answer her he heard the Kenny shout at him. The blackhead turned around and was just able to catch the body that was falling out of the remains of the ice cube. With the being out of it he hid again, holding it tightly in his arms and examining it. It looked like a normal human, most likely male when seeing the bulged in his pants, with pale skin and black hair. His eyelashes were long and the expression peaceful like he was having an afternoon nap. The only weird things were the marks on his arms that seemed to slowly fade away.

“We have to get him out of here,” Kenny, who was next to him, groaned. They waited for a good moment to use their emergency plan they had for the exact situation they were in.

Craig wanted to say something but he felt the being in his arms stir, a very soft groan coming from it. “Hey, hey are you okay?” He said with furrowed eyebrows and finally it began to open its eyes. Ice blue orbs were tiredly staring at Craig and it shook its head softly. “We will get you out of here. Kenny! It woke up!”

“What?!” Yelled Kenny shocked, turning to look at the blackhead in Craig’s arms. “Shit, okay. Wait a second.” He turned around again. “Wendy! It woke up! We need to leave now!”

“Okay!” Wendy shouted back and only a few seconds later she stood up, another objective on her weapon. When she shot with it a giant blast of ice covered the soldiers. “Hurry!”

All four of the rebels jumped up and ran out of the room as fast as possible, Craig still carrying the person in his arms. They ran along the halls, stopping only when they heard soldiers coming from some sides. The male Cyborg was leading them towards an emergency exit just like they planned. But when they came outside immediately shooting started again.

“Shit!” Bebe cursed when they all took cover behind a building, a dead end facing them. “What now?”

Wendy’s hand was at her shin, thinking about their situation and then noticing the new pair of eyes. “You,” she said while looking at the black-haired being, “we have to get him to a safe place. Craig, we will give you fire protection so you can go on as planned. Bring him to safety and don’t worry about us, do you understand?” Craig nodded and strengthened his hold on the boy in his arms. The rebels waited for a few seconds before coming out of their cover to shoot at the soldiers, Craig taking the chance to run past them.

He ran for a few minutes, the boy holding onto him tightly to not fall out of the arms that were carrying him. When he ran around a corner he felt legs against his own, making him lose his balance and falling forward. Craig made sure that keep the being in his arms upwards so he wouldn’t slide along the hard pavement. When he came to a halt he slowly sat up, checking on the one in his arms first before looking up. “Scott… Butters…” he said, eyes filled with anger.

“Craig, what is going on…?” Butters asked, weapon in his hands.

“He’s betraying us, that is what’s going on!” Scott explained the other, weapon raised at the ex-soldier in front of them.

“But why?”

“We don’t need to know why, Butters! He’s betraying us and stole that thing out of the labs. We simply have the task to bring it back and arrest or kill him.” Scott wasn’t joking, he was probably pissed that he couldn’t fly his mecha and that it was broken thanks to the break-in. “So, Craig. Is it life or death?”

“I can’t give him to you, Scott. They want to use him as a weapon so I have to get him out of here!”

“So the rebels can use him instead?!”

“They won-“

“SHUT UP!” Screamed the brunet, his finger on the trigger. The boy flinched together and Craig’s hold on him tightened again while trying to find a way out. Butters was no problem, he was trembling so bad that he could never shoot at Craig, but Scott was angry and ready to kill. Craig closed his eyes and took a deep breath before shoving the being away and jumping up to push Scott over. A shot was heard and Craig closed his eyes, ready to face death.

But nothing happened. When the yellow eyes opened again he saw a bullet right in front of his face, frozen in the air. Butters and Scott weren’t moving; not even their breathing was visible. Were they still breathing?

Before Craig could walk over to check on them he felt hands pulling at the hem of his sleeves. He turned around and the boy was holding onto him, the marks on his forearms and hands back. “…Is that your doing?” But he didn’t understand Craig and that seemed to frustrate the other who was moving his mouth but sounds were coming out that Craig couldn’t understand. “What?”

Suddenly the other placed his hands on Craig’s temples, pulling him in so that their foreheads rested against each other. The boy stood on his tiptoes so Craig didn’t have to lean down too far, only tilting his head a bit down. When he wanted to ask what was happening the eyes of the other shone up for a brief second before he pulled away. “Yes,“ he suddenly said, making Craig’s eyes widen, “that was me. I’m sorry for surprising you with that gesture just now, but I needed this to learn your language.”

“It’s okay…? I mean, at least we can understand each other now. What’s your name?”

“Stanley.”

“Stan it is.”

“What? No, I said-“ Stan was interrupted when screaming could be heard close to them. Craig grabbed his wrist and pulled him along.

“No time for talking, once we’re safe we will discuss everything,” mentioned Craig while pulling the other blackhead along but soon noticing that he still only wear those underpants. Noticing the hard ground he lifted him back up in his arms, the other not struggling against it and immediately holding onto the taller one. “Tell me when you see someone behind us.” He kept running and after some minutes arrived at the gate that led to Sector twelve. In the middle of a small grass field stood a spaceship, one Craig was able to drive.

He ran to it and opened it fast, walking up the now open Cockpit and placed Stan in one of the seats. Then he put his bag in the back of it before jumping it, the cockpit closing above them. With a small key that Wendy gave him he started the engine and it started floating over the ground, pulling the stand under it in. Craig pushed on a button of his Chullo and a small display stretched in front of his right eye, showing off directions. Stan was looking around confused, when he wanted to touch a button Craig slapped his hand away. “No touching.”

Stan grumbled a silent apology while stroking over his hand, glaring at the other. When the Spaceship started to settle into the sky he forgot about the pain and looked out of the giant cockpit. Craig checked some of the data he got before steering forward, the spaceship flying off very fast. “Kenny? Bebe? Wendy? Anyone still alive?”

 _“We’re all alive, asshole,”_ Bebe grumbled through her microphone for Craig to hear. _“We were able to escape thanks to one of our Mecha-Pilots.”_

“Mecha-Pilots?! Why didn’t we use them from the beginning?!”Craig yelled, by now they were already off from the planet and in space.

 _“Because they would have immediately been noticed, too striking,”_ explained Wendy. _“How is he doing?”_

“Why don’t you ask him yourself?” Craig turned to Stan and placed a headset on his head, making sure that the others could hear him now. “Come on, introduce yourself.”

“Hello, my name is Stanley Marsh,” Stan said while glancing at Craig unsure.

 _“HE CAN TALK IN OUR LANGUAGE?!”_ Kenny suddenly screamed into his microphone, making the others flinch together.

“What was that?!” Stan screamed scared, looking around in panic.

“Calm down, that was Kenny. He’s talking to you through his microphone, that little thing that is also in your headset. You can hear him through it,” while explaining Craig pointed at said device, his eyes never leaving the cockpit.

“Oh… I knew this!”

“Oooof course you did.”

The smaller pouted lightly before giggling could be heard from the other side of the devices. Wendy spoke up again. _“So, Stanley Marsh, who or what are you…?”_

For a few seconds silence fell between them, Stan shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “Ehm… I don’t remember…?”

_“What?”_

“What?” Craig echoed the others, eyebrows furrowed and sending a glance towards the other who was looking down at his hands. “You don’t remember?”

“I only remember basic stuff like… what my natural powers are and mathematic or writing, reading, stuff like that. But what exactly I am or where I come from? I have no clue…” Defeated about this he leaned back in his seat, eyes heavy with sadness. 

_“Oh my, the poor thing,”_ Bebe whispered with empathy.

“What now? Still bring him to the hide out by the Warmen?” Craig questioned, that Stan had no memory could turn into a big problem. He also seemed to not be up to date with the technical devices of their time. No one knows how long he was captured in the ice and how that even happened.

 _“Yeah, we will meet up there. Make sure no one sees you, I bet you’re wanted in most of the galaxies already,”_ said Wendy. _“We will probably arrive a bit later than planned; making sure no one is following us. But Tweek will recognize you and make sure you two will be safe. We have to stop now or they could be able to track us down. Call us only in emergencies.”_

“Okay, see you in the hideout,” and with that the connection was gone. Craig pulled the headset from Stan’s head and putt Autopilot on after entering the coordinates. He turned to the other man and looked him up and down. By now the marks in the body were gone and Stan’s eyes turned into a darker blue, more like the ocean on a stormy day. That was also when he noticed that he still wasn’t dressed.

Craig turned to the bag and pulled out a spare change of clothes, throwing them into Stan’s lap. “Put that on, must be weird to only be in your underwear.”

“A bit,” Stan mumbled and slowly started to dress, feeling Craig’s eyes on him. It was only a black pair of cargo pants, a black t-shirt and a brown leather jacket. The boots he gave him were in a dark brown too and had to be tied, but Stan had problems with that.

“Come here, let me tie them,” the yellow eyed man leaned forward and hold up his hands and when Stan placed his feet in front of him he tied them close. “I thought you know basic stuff?” He mocked, making the other blush heavily.

“I do!” Stan insisted, “I’m just not used to move around, again. I must have been unconscious for a long time… And my body has to warm up and get used to everything again.”

Okay, that sounded true enough. “Okay, I’m sorry,” apologized Craig and sat back again, Checking Stan out. Something was missing. He thought for a bit before leaning down and looking through another box. After some seconds he found what he was looking for and turned back to Stan who was looking at him questionable. Without a warning he pulled a blue hat with a red poofball on the others, covering most of the black hair. “There, now you’re fully dressed.”

Stan looked confused before turning around, looking at his reflection from the window with big eyes. He touched the red ball poofball on top and then turned back to Craig again. “Thank you.”

“No problem, that stuff doesn’t fit me anyway.”

“No, I meant for getting me out of there. Those people looked like bad ones… I’m sure you saved me from them. I don’t really get what is happening yet but I guess I own you.”

Craig looked at him and chuckled lightly. “Well, you will be searched through the whole universe; maybe you shouldn’t thank me too soon. Oh and, Stan?”

“Yeah?” The man looked at Craig, his blue eyes staring at Craig’s yellow ones. His mouth a bit open like he wanted to say more but didn’t know what.

“Welcome to the new world.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this was the very first chapter of my Staig Fanfiction Till The Last Starlight!
> 
> This chapter will be the only one being uploaded here till I found a Beta-Reader who can help make sure that there aren’t any plotholes or logical errors. Once I found someone to help me out with this I will upload the chapters once they’re finished.  
> But even then it may take some time because I need to concentrate much more for this fanfiction and because of the topic Sci-Fi I generally need more time to write.  
> So please forgive me when you notice that my ABO is updated much faster than this one here.
> 
> So, got interested in Beta reading or know someone who’d be perfect for it?  
> Write me or send me an Ask on my tumblr Natari-55 :3  
> [My Tumblr!](https://natari-55.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Comments are appreciated as always! <3


	2. Crashing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I said ‘fuck it’ and decided to continue posting it without a Beta-reader, because apparently no one wants to beta-read a Staig fanfiction. The updates will be slow though, because I will take my time to write it to make sure there aren’t any plot holes. 
> 
> Not Beta-Read, so please excuse small errors!

Craig checked the news over his chullo, reports about the break in and the abduction of an ‘important and rare Creature’ were everywhere. He read that the reporters came to the facility shortly after Wendy and the other could escape, thanks to an explosion and the Mechas. The more interesting thing were the wanted posters that were shown everywhere, they didn’t have a picture of Craig, thanks to Kenny’s hacking skills, and used a drawing instead. They would give money for him, a lot since he was traitor of the army, and didn’t care if he was catched dead or alive.

Stan was different. There was a drawing of him, too, but there was written that he was an innocent victim and kidnapped that got kidnapped. They wanted him alive and warned that he’d most likely be with Craig or one of the other three. So the government wanted him back, that one was clear from the beginning, but they didn’t mention that he was the main threat. They didn’t want the people to know about their plans of a weapon that could be used against the whole universe.

With a silent sigh Craig pressed on his chullo again and the news on front of his eye vanished, revealing the dark galaxy again. He glanced to the side and noticed Stan staring outside, occasionally bending his head to watch a small comet fly by. Craig chuckled amused at his behavior and turned to him, they were travelling for an hour by now. “So, Stan, let’s talk.”

“Why do you call me Stan?” The noirette asked while turning to face Craig, a frown present on his face. “My name is Stanley, not Stan.”

Craig raised an eyebrow at that and leaned back to get more comfortable. “It’s a nickname. Something you call someone instead of their real names. Stan is shorter than Stanley, you know?”

Stan looked a bit down, nodding lightly while thinking about this. Then he looked back up. “Is Craig a nickname, too?”

“Yep,” he popped the ‘p’ lightly. “But I won’t tell you my real name.”

“Why not?!” Stan protested immediately, sitting up a bit and leaning closer to the other. He puffed up his cheeks and pulled his lips into a pout. “It’s unfair, you know my full name!”

“You don’t need to know.”

“I bet it’s something embarrassing then!” By now Stan’s face was just a few inches away from Craig’s, the pout stronger and the cheeks more puffed. Craig rolled his eyes and pushed him back in his seat.

“Listen, _Stan,_ I’m going to ask the questions here because I’m the one who’s escorting you. So sit back and only talk when I ask you to.”

“But-!” The shorter tried to intervene but was immediately interrupted by the other.

“When I ask you to,” Craig repeated and when he heard Stan groan and saw him crossing his arms in front of his chest while he threw himself back in his seat, he grinned. “Okay, so your name is Stanley Marsh, how old are you?”

Stan looked up at the ceiling of the space ship, thinking about the question before he shook his head. “I don’t know… how old do I look?”

“Hm, maybe a bit younger than me, twenty I guess.”

“How old are you?”

“I said I ask the questions.”

“You know what? No,” said Stan, his eyebrow angrily knitted together, “Either you answer the same questions you ask me or I will stay silent.”

“God, you may look like a twenty year old but act like a small child,” sneered Craig, already annoyed in handling the… whatever Stan was. He didn’t apply for babysitting, he thought that he’d help them to get him out and then give him over to their boss as soon as possible. The others should have been with him at some point and help him out, but now he was stuck with Stan alone.

“I act like a child?! You’re the one not cooperating here!” Stan yelled at Craig while pulling at his black hair that was hidden under the hat, some longer strands peeked out.

“Oh, I’m surprised you know such a big word,” mocked the other.

“Fuck you.”

“An another one, I’m impressed,” Craig scoffed but didn’t get a reply. He glanced over at Stan only to see that he turned his back to him. It looked like he had his legs pulled up to his chest, making himself small. And suddenly Craig felt a pang in his chest, guilt spreading in it like poison. Maybe he was too mean to Stan, he just got freed out of a giant ice cube and had to be rescued so the government couldn’t abuse him for experiments.

And all Craig had to do was being mean to him and be an asshole. Yes, he felt guilty in bullying him and he wanted to change that. He left his normal life behind to save and protect him, after all. Craig took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds, calming himself down before talking again. “Okay, I’m sorry. I’m just a bit tense after everything that happened today, but let’s act like grownups here. I agree in answering the questions I ask you.” He glanced over again and noticed Stan peeking over his shoulder, but he stayed quiet.

So Craig continued. “My name is Craigory Tucker, I’m twenty-three years old and worked as a Space Marine Soldier for the Army of planet #0235, also known as ‘Proxima Centauri b’. I worked there as a pilot and Soldier before I entered the rebellion to save you. I have a small sister who is nineteen years old and was in the Space Marine school, she was part of the Rebellion even before me and is now, hopefully, at a safe place. I’m good in flying and even better in shooting and lived in the tenth Sector of Eusum. Now you.”

Stan was staring at him with wide eyes, he didn’t think that Craig would be so open immediately and was taken aback. But he kept his promise, he would tell Craig the same information he shared with him, even when it wouldn’t be as much.

“I’m Stanley Marsh,” he started, his gaze leading out into the black universe they were travelling through, “I… don’t know how old I am but I guess around twenty? I don’t remember what I did before I froze or where I’m from, but it has to be from Proxima Centauri b, too, because I was found there. And I don’t remember if I have a family or what happened to them… Or why I was frozen inside the ice…” Stan took a deep breath, feeling tears filling his eyes and he wiped them away, looking at them confused. “What… what is this…?”

Craig watched him, a worried frown on his face. “You’re crying, that happens when people are getting emotional and are overwhelmed. It’s normal.” Stan sniffed heavily and tried to stop the tears from coming but was unable to hold them back. He made himself small on the seat and didn’t know how to handle the situation. “Hey, come here…” The taller swooped closer to him and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him on his lap. “It’s okay, we’ll figure it out.”

“Wh-What are you doing?” Stan sobbed while snuggling against the other, hiding his face in his chest and enjoying the warmth that emitted from him.

“I’m comforting you, that’s what living beings do for each other. I’m bad in it but I know that cuddles always help,” Craig explained, slowly bobbing back and forth while holding Stan close. “Should I stop?”

Stan thought about it but soon shook his head, cuddling closer. “No… It feels good,” he whispered, his eyes closed and the tears slowly drying out. The silence spread in the ship, but this time it was a comfortable kind of silence. Craig enjoyed it, he carefully took the hat off of Stan’s head and stroked through his black, surprisingly soft, hair. It was darker than Craig’s, reminding him off the endless galaxy from outside and carding his hand through it was relaxing.

When Stan sighed appreciatively and snuggled even closer, Craig couldn’t hold back a soft chuckle. So he was a cuddles, cute. Craig’s eyes widened lightly at that thought and he fast tried to forget it, Stan was some ancient… thing, after all. Even thou he looked a bit different at the old drawings the others showed him. Then he remembered something, he moved the man in his lap lightly so that he faced him. He pushed the black bangs up and revealed Stan’s forehead, no third eye visible on it, instead there were three birth marks that, when connected, could form a closed eye.

“What are you doing..?” Croaked Stan, now his eyes open and he looked up to Craig with a questioning gaze.

“Before we got you out of that laboratory my friends showed me some ancient drawings that showed you. There you had a third eye on your forehead but you have none, but those birth marks look a bit off,” explained Craig while he touched the dots on the skin, Stan twitching lightly. “I’ll show you the drawing once we’re with the others, I don’t have them.”

“Oh, okay,” mumbled Stan before putting his hat back on and leaning against Craig’s chest. “You humans are so weird with your meotions…”

Craig could only hum at that, because it was weird. Emotions weren’t really controllable and the few people who could were on the bad side of history most of the time. Like politicians, they never showed their emotions in public unless they were fake ones. “By the way, why didn’t you know what crying is? I thought you learned everything when our foreheads touched?”

“No,” Stan sighed and he moved to look at Craig, “I learned stuff like writing, reading and your language, but this kind of communication doesn’t help me in figuring out… Emotions, feelings, moral standards… I was so confused when you got me out of their and those two attacked them and I helped you because I knew you. Or, better said, because you were the one I felt closest to in that moment. You attacked them, so I did too. But I didn’t know _why_ we attacked them, do you understand?”

“I think so…” Craig mumbled, trying to figure it out in his head, “Like a child, maybe? You followed my lead because I was the one who saved and talked to you first. And you don’t know about emotion because you don’t remember your past, you don’t remember the time when people learned to figure them out.”

“Exactly,” confirmed Stan with a nod. “I have all those emotions; I just don’t know what they mean sometimes.”

“Wow, this will be interesting when you have to relearn all this stuff. And exhausting, for the both of us,” moaned Craig while leaning back against the window, Stan climbing back on his seat. “But our future selves can deal with that, present Craig is hungry.” He sat back up and leaned into the back, grabbing a box and a water bottle from there. “Hungry? Must have been some time since you ate something.”

Stan looked up from his lap and in that exact moment his stomach growled loudly, making him blush lightly. Craig laughed and opened the box, revealing sandwiches, fruits and some candy. Yes, Craig was a master in preparing lunch boxes. Irony off. He only packed so little because he trip should take just a few hours and once they were with the others more food was available. So for now he gave Stan a Sandwich which the other happily ate, munching loudly.

He reminded Craig of a Guinea Pig.

“So, what is the exact plan?” Stan asked after he finished his sandwich, happily accepting some chocolate that Craig offered. “You and your friends got me out from there and now?”

Craig swallowed the bite he took from his sandwich before answering the question. “We’re flying to a planet named Thathorot, it’s the planet of a species names ‘Wargorgs’. They’re war people, famous for their tactics and strength and one of the lasts who aren’t part of the UOU but of the Rebellion. We’ll stay there for a bit to rest and then continue on to the main hide out where the leader will tell us what happens next. That’s all I know.”

Stan nodded lightly, leaning against the backseat and looking up at some buttons, thinking. When he stayed silent Craig did, too, he didn’t have any more to say anyway. When a bit more time went by a yawn forced its way out of Craig’s mouth, a shiver running over his body. He checked the time, only to notice that while traveling through the universe the time zone of his planet did not work out. So he decided that it was time for some actual rest, he glanced at Stan who was forcefully trying to keep his eyes open, but lost against his heavy eyelids. Craig chuckled. “Let’s get some sleep.”

Craig climbed into the back where a mattress took all the space; he laid out two pillows and blankets so Stan could have his own. With a soft sigh he almost collapsed on his side, only now noticing how exhausted he was. He putt of his chullo and placed it on a small ledge at the side, his black hair standing in all directions. Stan chuckled silently when he saw that, then putting his own hat off and checking his hair. It wasn’t in any better state and Craig chuckled, too. Then Stan lay down, leaving a big gap between him and the other blackhead.

After Craig pressed on a button close to him the lights in the ship went off, leaving them in the darkness of the universe. The only light that was left came from the different buttons in the cockpit and the occasional spaceship that flew past them. Only a few minutes later he noticed Stan shifting around, when he glanced to his side with one eye he saw him trembling. It was pretty cold in the ship thanks for the natural coldness of the universe and they couldn’t use the heater because they needed to safe energy.

But shouldn’t Stan be used to be cold, after being locked into an ice cube for centuries? Or was exactly that the reason for his trembling? It couldn’t be easy not to think about the reason why someone was frozen inside a block of ice for so long, the silence made it impossible. Stan must have been thinking about it, what else was there to think about and keep him awake? Or maybe he really was just cold and at least for that Craig had a solution.

“Hey,” Craig whispered into the darkness, Stan shifted to look up to him. Once he had his attention Craig lifted his own blanket a bit up, inviting the smaller under it. “It’s pretty cold, want to help me warm up?”

Without hesitation Stan crawled over to him and under the blanket, snuggling up to the taller, and warmer, man. A contented sigh came out of his throat as he made himself comfortable next to Craig, laying his head on his shoulder and an arm around the man’s waist. Craig shrugged inwardly and wrapped an arm around the smaller, using his other to wrap the blanket around them. “Thanks,” mumbled Stan, his eyes already closed and Craig just smiled. Only a few minutes later both were sleeping peacefully cuddled together.

Their awakening wasn’t as pleasant.

A loud explosion tore them out of their dreams, making both jump up into a sitting position. Loud siren noises screamed into their ears and a red, flashing light spread in the ship. “Wh-What is this?!” Stan asked confused, fear visible in his eyes. Craig frowned before getting back into the cockpit, his eye wide.

“Shit, the fucking army found out!” He growled out while taking his seat, switching off the autopilot to steer the device himself. “Can you give me my hat?” Stan, after putting on his own hat, sat down next to Craig and gave him the chullo which the ex-marine immediately put on. He pressed the button on his chullo and the little screen appeared in front of his eye again, immediately marking the different ships outside. There were four smaller spaceships and two bigger, and they were surrounded, lasers pointed at them. “….Fuck.”

Stan glanced between Craig and the different ships, slowly tensing up. “What is happening…?” He finally asked, fear spreading in his guts and making it hard to control his breathing,

“They surrounded us and damaged the ship; we won’t make it to Thathorot. But I can probably land on another planet to repair the ship or get a new one, but first we have to shake them off. Hold onto something, this will be rough,” Craig said before pulling on a handle and the ship’s hidden guns appear under the ship. After pressing on a button on top of the handle it started shooting, Craig using the distraction that was caused by the hit ship in front of him to fly them away.

The other’s followed him, not caring about the one that just got hit. Craig tried to shake them off by taking sudden turns and flying as fast as possible, but the damage that was caused slowed them down. Another hit and a warning appeared on the glass, saying that there was a hole somewhere and the oxygen was running out. “Fucking fuck!” Cursed Craig while pressing on another button inside his chullo, a mask appearing in front of his mouth. He started to rummage around while steering the ship, when he found another mask he threw it to Stan and told him to put it on.

“What is this for?”

“So we can breathe outside of the ship, the oxygen is running out, we have to get them off of our tail!” Craig ground his teeth together; another hit right in the side of the ship slowed them down even more. “There’s an asteroid field close, we could escape there when our ship is fast enough. But one more hit and we don’t stand a chance.”

Stan looked around, searching for a way to help and not just sit there and watch Craig. When he saw the field the noirette talked about, he held onto his seat. Craig steered the small ship right through it and just as planned the two bigger ships couldn’t follow and were left behind. Now there were just three more following them, but one crashed against an asteroid. Only two left.

When Craig was sure that everything was under control he saw the end of the field already. He miscalculated the length of the field and the number of rocks, dooming Stan and himself. Turning around and staying in the field wasn’t possible, the enemies were too close and they’d either crash together with one of them or they would be followed easily. He needed a plan B and before they came out of the field.

Suddenly the windshield started to drive up in front of him, opening the cockpit to the wide universe. “What the-?!” Craig held tightly onto the steering wheel, praying that he’d be strong to not be pulled out into the darkness. Then he noticed Stan standing up and starting to climb out of the space ship. He grabbed him and pulled him back in his seat. “What are you doing?! Are you insane?!”

“No! I know how to save us! I need to freeze their ships in time so we can escape!” Shouted Stan over the loud wind, holding onto his seat. “Trust me!”

Trust him, he said. How could Craig trust someone he only knew for a few hours, someone who didn’t even know what crying is and had no memories? Someone who didn’t know anything about today’s society and only helped Craig out because he followed his example. But what other choice did he have than trust this cute boy, who didn’t know about emotions and needed cuddle to chase away the bad thoughts?

Craig swallowed heavily and mumbled that he should be careful, knowing that Stan couldn’t hear him. Then he let go and watched how Stan climbed out and on the back of the ship, holding onto everything he got a grip on. That was when Craig heard another shot from the ship right behind him and suddenly time froze. The ships behind them came to a stop, crashing into asteroids without a chance of dodge them. But the shot got through and in the last second Craig got up and grabbed Stan, pulling him back in before a loud explosion muted his ears. Their spaceship started burning and Craig, with Stan held close to his chest, felt a harsh pain before he fell into the darkness of unconsciousness.

Silence was what Craig noticed first while waking up, but it wasn’t as silent as he thought. There was a sound, a whimper and sniffing, someone was crying. Maybe he was dead and Tricia cried over it, finally paying the earned respect for his brother. But there was something else, someone was leaned on his chest and there was a wet spot. Most likely tears from the person who was crying, but how could he feel this when he was dead? Or maybe he wasn’t?

A weak groan erupted from his chest and his eyes slowly opened, adjusting to the dark night sky over his head. The stars were shining down on his exhausted form and two moons, one close to the planet and the other farther away, mocked him. When he looked down at his body ne saw Stan leaning over his chest, face hidden behind his crossed arms and weeping silently. It seemed that the blackhead didn’t hear his groan and noticed him working up. So Craig used his slowly returning strength to place his hand on the black mass of hair and Stan immediately looked up.

His eyes were still lighter than usual and some marks on his throat were visible, signs that he used his powers. The blue eyes were filled with tears; his cheeks showed trails of them and Craig’s heart almost broke by the sight. Did Stan think that he was dead, that Craig left him all alone on a strange planet, in a new world he had no clue about?

Without any warning Stan leaped forth and wrapped his arms around Craig shoulders, pulling him a bit up and against his own chest. The crying got stronger and louder, his face now hidden in the crook of Craig’s neck. “Cr-Craig,” he whimpered out, sobs escaping while he talked, “I-I thought th-that you were… that you were...!”

“It’s okay,” whispered Craig, slowly sitting up without pushing Stan away. His own arms slowly wrapped around Stan’s waist and back, one of his hands finding his hair to stroke through it. “I’m fine, don’t worry.” Craig’s voice was a bit hoarse, but otherwise he seemed to be fine. Yes, his body hurt but what did you expect when you crash with a fucking Space ship? It was a wonder they were alive.

While trying to comfort Stan he checked him over, too. Noticing no big injuries, just some scratches where his clothes were torn. It really was a miracle that they made it safely down to the ground. “It’s a miracle we’re not dead…” He voiced his thoughts and when he looked around he saw the broken Spaceship, parts were lying around, but the fire went out while he was unconscious. “What happened…?”

“You got unconscious when we got hit… Because you protected me from the explosion, we were smashed against the wall from the eruption. I didn’t know what to do and pulled you close, I was able to slow down the time but we were still too fast while crashing…” explained Stan while trying to get his sobs under control, slowly pulling away from Craig to look at him. “We would have been dead when we would have crashed at full speed… But when I finally got you out of there you looked so… pale and were cold and I thought you were dead…”

Craig sighed and stroked through his hair, shoving off the chullo that was still on his head but most likely broken, the mask was gone. “I’m sorry,” he apologized.

“Don’t! You almost died; you don’t have to apologize for this.”

“Then let me at least thank you for slowing down the fall, you saved our lives with that.” And for the first time in a long while Craig was genuine about it. Stan really saved his life and he deserved to be thanked for it. Even thou Craig hated to thank people, but on the other hand, he saved him first so they were even.

Stan blushed when he heard the small praise, turning his head away and sitting back on his butt to get space between them. “I got your bag and weapons out of the ship, but the ship itself is completely useless now.”

Craig nodded lightly while slowly standing up, relieved when his hope that nothing was broken was proven correct. He picked up his chullo and put it on, pressing some of the small buttons but nothing happened. “My chullo is broken, too,” he mentioned while walking over to the ship where his belonging laid out, Stan followed him. Instead of picking up his stuff he climbed into the ship, checking it completely over and sighing in defeat when nothing worked. It was completely broken and beyond repair. He had luck that his bag and weapons were okay, had they been in the back part where they used to sleep, they would have been destroyed. The complete back was destroyed from the explosion, leaving nothing but wreckage behind.

“So, without the ship and my chullo we have no way to get into touch with the others,” explained Craig, rubbing his fingers over his eyes. “Let’s walk a bit around, maybe we have luck and find a city with a communication tower. From there we can contact Wendy and tell them to come and pick us up.”

Stan nodded and watched Craig putting on his backpack and gun. He put the smaller gun into a holster at his legs and built off his blaster so it fitted into the backpack. With a nod towards the smaller male, they started walking and Craig used the time to check their environment. They were in a forest; most of the trees were snapped where they crashed. Craig kept walking through the forest, occasionally glancing over his shoulder to check if Stan is still behind him.

The noirette stayed close to Craig most of the time, sometimes he got distracted by some sounds or weird looking insects, but he fast walked after him when he fell back. Craig shook his head at his behavior; he acted like a child who never saw the nature before. Thinking about it, he never did since he lost his memories.

After walking for a few minutes they came to the edge of the forest, a path leading along it. “When there’s a path, there’s also civilization,” said Craig, stepping onto the dirty path and walking along it. And just as he thought they soon came to a crossing with a map that was hung out on a wooden shield. The former Marine checked their location; a fat, red dot showed off where they were and then looked where the nearest city was.

To Craig’s surprise there were no cities near, just smaller villages but there was the logo of the UOU, so they most likely would have at least a communication station. “Okay, there seem to be some farms around, let’s sneak on one to stay there for the night. In the morning we will go to the nearest village and call for help.”

“Okay,” agreed Stan, a yawn forcing its way out of his mouth. “How far is it?” He asked while the start walking again, Stan now next to Craig.

“Just a few minutes. Tired?”

“A bit… I mean, I did use my power and couldn’t rest because I thought you were dead…” Mumbled the noirette, looking down at his feet with a light blushed face.

“Don’t worry, once we’re there we can sleep till the sun starts to rise,” explained Craig and glanced at the smaller, noticing his exhaustion. He speed up a bit so they’d be there faster, even when that meant that Stan would be even more exhausted at the end.

It took them only a few minutes until they saw a big barn on a fenced field, animals surrounding them. Craig looked around to make sure no one saw them; the farmer didn’t need to know of their sleep over. Once he was sure that no soul was near he climbed over the fence, afterwards helping Stan, who was almost falling asleep while standing. “We’re almost there, just a few more steps,” reassured Craig, an arm around the smaller male and pulling him along.

“What… What are those…?” Stan asked, rubbing one of his eyes to get the sleepiness out. They were surrounded by Space Cows, a race of cows that was a hybrid of different Alien races and cows from earth. They had three black and red striped horns on their head and one on their behind, on the top of the horns were balls, so they couldn’t harm people. Out of their mouth came two teeth, resembling the ones of wild boars. Their ears were longer with small little puffs or fur at the end and the end of their tails were parted in two. Next to their turquoir and blue colors, the six legs and three eyes, a smaller one on their forehead, was the most outstanding.

“Space Cows,” explained the noirette, leading Stan into the barn where some more cows were, most of them sleeping or eating hay. “They’re breed for their milk and flesh, specially genetically manipulated so that they can feed their own babies and still give enough milk for us.”

“And… The flesh…?” Stan pulled away from Craig to walk over to one of the cows, Craig used the opportunity to get some hay and prepare a spot to sleep. When he was pleased with the amount of hay he put down his bag and gun, sliding down into the rather spikey dried grass. He watched Stan stroking one of the cows with a big smile on his face, his tired eyes suddenly shining with fondness.

“Yeah, some of them are killed when they’re around two years old so we can eat them,” Craig pulled off his chullo and placed it by his side, his eyes not leaving Stan.

“What?!” The noirette looked shocked and kept stroking the creature in front of him, it enjoying the little massage. “That’s horrible, they are so cute!” When he pulled his hand away green long and thin tongues came out of the cows mouth, at least seven of them started to lick over Stan’s face and made him laugh. He enjoyed it though, giggling the whole time until the cow pulled back again to continue eating.

“You have to me quiet or we alarm farmer,” grumbled Craig, “And weren’t you tired?”

Stan nodded lightly and walked over to him, lying down next to the other and snuggling in his side. “Sorry,” he muttered, glancing up at Craig while his head rested on the taller’s shoulder. “Once all this is over and I can have a normal life, I’m gonna breed my own Space Cows and they’ll never be killed. They can live happily for the rest of their lives.”

Craig snorted lightly, shaking his head at the innocent fantasizing of the other. It was adorable. “Sure, when that’s what you want to do, maybe the rebellion will give you a new life, a new name and help you out. But that means that you have to learn about those animals first.”

“Hm,” hummed Stan to suppress a yawn, “Do you know something about them?” He snuggled his head under Craig’s chin and closed his eyes, sleep slowly taking over.

“The number of tongues they have is their age. The one that liked you had around seven, so it’s at least seven human years old,” whispered Craig, his eyes slowly falling close, too. He heard Stan humming again before he fell asleep.

The next morning Craig woke up from a wet feeling on his skin and when he opened his eyes it was a calf that licked his cheek. He groaned loudly and gently shoved it away, glad when it ran away to its mother. With a sigh he sat up, looking down at his side where Stan was still asleep, snoring silently. A soft smile grew on his lips while looking down at the noirette and he couldn’t stop himself from stroking through the black hair.

Stan stirred lightly, exhaling in his sleep and moaning silently while smiling, too. When Craig noticed how long he was staring at the other he fast pulled his hand away and stood up. He stretched his arms over his head, growling lightly when he heard his muscles pop. First thing he usually did in the morning was stretching and he decided to keep this habit up, especially when he didn’t know what the day would bring.

While he did his usual stretching he watched the cows, the calf from before was back by its mother and ran around her. Craig thought about what Stan said during night, about wanting to own his own farm with space cows. But Stan didn’t know much about the universe they lived in. The possibility that Stan, a potential weapon that could end the war, could just live a normal live as a farmer was thin. The Government would look for him, so for him to settle down somewhere would need the Rebellion to win first. And as much as Craig was on their side, the chances were thin; they may have delayed the UOU’s win, but didn’t get closer to winning themselves.

Unless they wanted to use Stan, which would be twisted and morally wrong from them after accusing and disapproving the Government for it. When Craig heard moving behind him he stopped stretching and turned around to see Stan sitting and rubbing his eyes. “Morning,” Craig said, walking over to him and kneeling down. “Slept well?”

“Mornin’,” muttered Stan while trying to rub the dizziness from sleeping out of his eyes. “Yeah… I dreamed about cuddling with a fluffy cow.” Craig chuckled amused and started to look through his bag, glad when he found something to eat. He handed him the last sandwich before putting his gun in the holster again and standing up with the backpack. “Thanks..” Stan said before he started to eat. “What’s with you?”

“I ate already,” lied Craig whiel pulling on his Chullo, “Hurry up, we should leave before-“

“Who’s there?!” A man shouted from the large doors of the barn, his silhouette standing there. He had a riffle in his hand.

“Shit!” Craig cursed and pulled Stan up from his sitting position, pulling him a long to an open window.

“Stay there or I shoot!” And before he finished the sentence the Farmer shot at them, missing them by a few inches. Craig cursed again and jumped through one of the windows, pulling Stan along who screamed. They kept running over the fields, the cows around them panicking and running wild. But they used this to distract the farmer who was shooting from the window, or at least he did before he risked his own animals with his shooting.

After running for a bit the two stopped and took deep breathes, panting heavily. Craig looked around and saw another map; he walked up there and noticed the wanted letter that hung there. He pulled it off and looked it over, it was the same one he saw digital the day before. That meant they were looking after them on this planet and this was a problem.

When Stan finally came up to him, still panting and with a red face, Craig pulled out a bottle of water and gave it to him. Stan thanked him before taking long gulps, almost emptying the bottle before handing it back to the other who finished it. “Okay, they have wanted letters hanging out, that means we need to hide our faces,” said Craig while looking around and crumpling up the piece of paper before throwing it away. “Hopefully we find something on the way to the village. Come.” And like that they continued walking.

For their luck Craig was right, after walking for five more minutes they came to a house, clothed were hung up to dry. Craig told Stan to wait for him and sneaked up to the washing line, there he stole two long cloaks. He returned to Stan and wrapped one of the cloaks around his shoulders, closing it with a button and pulling the hood over his face. “This should do it, as long as you keep it like that no one should be able to recognize you.”

“Okay…” Mumbled Stan, his cheeks flushed when Craig leaned close enough to check the hood. Was he still out of breath from the running? He shrugged it off and wrapped the other cloak around himself, pulling the hood up as well. “How long till we’re there?”

“Should be a thirty minutes walk by now, once we’re there you have to stay as close to me as possible, got it? I don’t want you to get us in trouble,” ordered Craig while adjusting his hood while walking already, Stan next to him.

“Don’t treat me like a child, I won’t get us in trouble,” argued Stan, his cheeks puffed up at the older looking male. “I Promise.”

“Just stay close,” Craig ended the conversation with that and they walked silently along the path. Ten minutes later they stood in front of a village that looked old, similar to the ones Craig read about in his history classes. Brick huts with hay on their roofs, old looking markets and dirt everywhere, like the ones of the middle Ages. Except there were really modern accents. Electricity in the street lamps, holograms that showed the prices and self driving carts that carried the shopping of the people.

It was bizarre and yet fascinating but Craig didn’t see a communication tower, which meant he had to ask someone. He glanced at Stan who was looking around with big eyes, taking in the new experiences. After rolling his eyes, Craig nudged Stan lightly in the side to get his attention, gesturing him with a nod to come long.

The two companions walked along the road, searching for someone who looked like they knew the way to the communication station, when there existed one. They came into a narrow path with a lot of people and Craig noticed too late in what kind of part of the village they were. There were people running around wearing almost nothing, some suspicious looking figures staring at them and some making out in alleys. At some point Craig stopped in front of a building that looked like a brothel, a woman walking over to them.

“Hey cutie,” she said with a sultry voice, not even thinking about Craig being not interested in women at all. “Can I help you?”

“Actually yes, we’re looking for directions to the Communication center,” Craig dead panned, not here to waste any time. The woman groaned lightly before nodding and lifted her arm while pointing down the road.

“At the end of the street is one,” she explained, “once you’re out of this part of the town you should be able to see it.”

Craig nodded lightly. “Alright, thank you. Okay Stan let’s-“ When he turned around to explain Stan where they will go now the noirette is gone. He looked around fast, searching the crowed for him before facing the whore again. “Did you see the guy who was behind me?”

“The smaller one? Yeah, two guys lured him into the alley of the building on the other side of the street.”

_Fuck._

Craig fast squeezed through the crowd of people to get to the spot the woman looked at. Once he was at the edge he noticed three figures standing in the alley next to it. When he squinted his eyes to adjust to the darkness, he recognized Stan, his hood down and standing against the wall. Two men were looming over him with wide grins, showing their shiny looking teeth, one of them even had a golden tooth. “Hey!” He shouted, taking a few steps closer.

“Craig!” Stan immediately beamed and used the distraction to sneak away from the man and ran towards him. Once he reached him he hid behind the ex-marine, glancing at the men from behind him.

“Ohhh, who’s that, yer pimp?” One of the men sneered, the other started to laugh loudly. “So no job for ya, but Maybe yer little friend wanna buy some drugs?”

“No, thanks,” said Craig, looking unimpressed, “we’re leaving.” He turned around and pushed Stan out of the alley as fast as possible. When they were out on the street he put his hands on the smaller’s shoulder and kept pushing him along the way. After walking a few minutes they reached the end of the red light district and Craig span Stan around. “What were you doing?!”

“They said they could help me!” Stan immediately tried to defend himself, his hands placed in front of his chest. “They said for some money they could show us the way to the communication station, but I didn’t have any money so they said that they had some kind of job for me? But I told them that I had to return to you, that was when they offered me some candy to calm down… Or something like that…” His voice turned softer at the end, like he noticed that this didn’t make sense.

A loud exaggerated sigh left Craig’s throat while he rubbed his forehead. “Don’t fall for people like them, they were evil and dangerous. You promised to stay out of trouble and yet you vanish from my side after five seconds, this is not a game, Stan!”

“I know!” The noirette raised his voice, “I told you I can’t see the difference between good and bad! Not yet, at least. I-I need to learn all this stuff first…”

“That doesn’t explain why you left my side when I told you not to.”

“I wanted to help… And they whispered to my ear that they could help me when I followed them…” Admitted Stan, staring down at his feet with an embarrassed face and a frown. It looked like he was thinking about his actions, actually regretting them now that he knew that he did something wrong. 

“Just stay close to me now, okay?” Stan nodded at Craig’s request and with that their talk was finished. Craig walked past Stan and peeked over his shoulder, glad to see Stan following him and actually holding onto his cloak. Maybe he was too harsh with him; he was new to this world and needed to relearn everything. But that was what he did with Craig’s treatment, he learned what was wrong and that he had to listen to him.

The two walked in silence and soon Craig could see the Communication Station at the end of the street. A relieved breathe erupted him and he picked up his pace, Stan still holding onto him. When they entered the small station, there were only three setups, he immediately pulled Stan towards the only free one. They stepped into a small, cramped room and Craig entered the number of Wendy’s communicator, calling her like that.

It beeped two times before someone answered. _“…Who’s there?”_

Wendy, so they didn’t get caught.

“It’s me, Craig. We have a problem.”

 _“What? What problem?”_ She sounded worried and Craig could picture her nervously wrapping a strand of her black hair around one of her fingers.

“They found us while we were travelling through the Galaxy, surprised us in our sleep. We could get rid of them but crashed on a planet last night,” explained Craig, hearing her exhaling loudly once she heard that they could escape. “You need to send someone over to come pick us up.”

_“Will do, I’ve already located your coordinates. But it will probably take till tomorrow morning for someone to be able to come and pick you up. I guess your hat is broken?”_

“Yep, the only things that survived the crash were my bag, my weapons, Stan and me.”

_“Okay, listen; look for some place to stay during the day and night. Don’t go outside, the government sent people to every planet to look for you and there are wanted letters everywhere. Tomorrow go to one of the open fields, one of our people will find you with a thermal Camera. In case something went wrong and none of us appeared, just spend another night at the same place and return to the field the next day. Understand?”_

“Yeah, we’ll leave then; I think I saw a motel somewhere where we can stay. See you soon.”

 _“Yes and be careful.”_ With that the call ended and Craig turned around to leave with Stan. The noirette was silent on the way to the motel, always standing near Craig. The older paid for a room – Thank God for the same money system on all UOU planets – and walked up some stairs, entering a small room with two beds, a dresser, a small kitchen corner and a small bathroom.

“Okay, that’s where we will stay till tomorrow morning before someone can come and pick us up,” clarified Craig, he looked at Stan and only then noticed how dirty he looked. Well, he probably didn’t look better himself. “Listen, how about you take a shower while I check for some food in the fridge?”

Stan nodded, his gaze directed down to the floor before walking into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Craig scratched his head and stared to the door for a few heartbeats, then he made his way to the fridge and smiled when he found some food in there. Nothing to make a four star menu but enough to survive for at least three days. He picked out the indrigents to make spaghetti when he heard the bathroom door open. When he turned around Stan’s head peeked out from behind it.

“Ehm…” He started with red cheeks, avoiding Craig’s eyes. “I… I don’t know how this works…”

“….What?”

“Th-The shower… I don’t know how to switch it on and… stuff like that…” Admitted Stan, his face turned even redder. Craig held his hand in front of his mouth to cover his chuckle; he didn’t want to embarrass Stan even more. He placed the food on the kitchen counter and walked over to the bathroom door, glad to see that Stan still wore his underpants.

“First you switch on the water,” explained Craig while doing exactly that, switching it to a warm temperature. “Then you undress and get under the water. To get rid of the dirt and your greasy hair you use the shampoo for each, okay?” He turned to Stan and fast looked away when the younger pulled down his pants, now being completely naked.

“Okay…” Stan mumbled, stepping into the shower and under the water, twitching lightly at the warm temperature. He started to smile and stroked through his warm hair. “Feels nice,” he smiled and glanced at Craig, noticing his red tinted cheeks.

“I will leave you alone then and prepare some food.”

“Wait!” Craig was stopped by a wet hand on his arm and when he turned around, Stan was staring at him. “Don’t you need to clean, too?”

“Well, yeah, but I can use the bathroom when you’re finished,” said Craig, gulping lightly. “People usually don’t shower together, you know? Has something to do with privacy.”

“Oh…” Stan nodded his head lightly but kept holding onto Craig. “It’s just… I don’t want to be alone, I want to stay by your side.”

Craig’s hurt stung at those words and he noticed the sad blue eyes of the noirette in front of him. He looked like a puppy that was about to be abandoned and even though Craig was more the guinea pig kind of guy, it hurt him. Stan was in that ice cube for such a long time and was probably scared to be left alone now. So Craig decided to just play along. “Okay, okay, but just this once. I will help you clean your hair and all and the next time you do it alone, got it?”

“Got it!” Stan’s eyes lit up and he stepped back, making room for Craig who started to undress. Once all his dirty clothes were discarded on the floor, he stepped into the shower next to Stan, sighing when the warm water hit his skin. He ruffled through his own hair to get it completely wet; Stan’s back was facing him and the smaller stroked through his black curls. But he did it so carefully, that only his upper hair got wet and the lower ones stayed dry.

“You don’t have to be so careful,” Craig said, starting to ruffle through Stan’s hair and getting them completely wet. Stan squeaked loudly and started to chuckle at Craig’s action. “There, get all your hair wet and then…” He leaned down to pick up the shampoo that was placed in a basket on the shower’s floor, “You put shampoo in your hair and make it go foamy. Turn around.”

Stan did as he was told and turned to the taller male, looking up to him with big eyes. Craig blushed lightly and squeezed some of the shampoo in his hands and started to spread it in Stan’s hair. “Make sure nothing runs into your eyes, it would burn,” muttered the noirette while massaging Stan’s skull, his hands and the black hair soon covered in foam. The younger seemed to enjoy it, his lips were turned into a smile and a loud sigh left his mouth.

Once all the dirt seemed to be gone, Craig took care of his own hair before getting under the water again and washing it out. Again he helped Stan, stroking through his hair at the end and revealing his forehead. He poked the three birthmarks on his forehead, humming lightly. “Listen, do you know what those marks mean? The ones that appear when you use your powers?”

“Hmm,” purred Stan, his eyes slowly opening to look up at Craig, “no, I guess they’re just there to show that I used them..? I don’t know.” Craig nodded lightly and continued to stroke through the noirette’s hair, enjoying how soft it got from the shampoo. Then his hands slid down to his face, stroking his cheek with his thumb and turning his head up by his chin. Stan looked him in the eyes, his mouth a bit open and he licked his lips when Craig stared back.

But he snapped out of it and pulled his hand away, coughing lightly. Now was not the time to… flirt? Was he flirting with Stan? No, that would be ridicules, Stan wasn’t even a human and they didn’t know each other long enough. And most importantly, Stan had no clue what love or other emotions were. “Okay, let’s get out and dry off, I’m going to cut your hair, too, maybe you will be harder to be recognized then.”

Both of them got out of the shower and after drying their hair and body Stan sat down on the toilet and let Craig cut his hair. It was shorter now and didn’t hang on his shoulder anymore; it didn’t even reach his ears anymore. Then they got dressed in loose shirts and shorts, they wouldn’t go out anyway. Stan helped Craig with preparing dinner, cutting and washing the vegetables the way he was told and soon they could eat.

Time went by and darkness spread over the planet, the night returning from its slumber. Craig was getting comfortable in one of the two beds while Stan was in the bathroom to brush his teeth. When the younger stepped back into the main room he looked at Craig and scratched his neck. He walked over to the bed, lifted the blanket and climbed in next to Craig.

“What are you doing?” Questioned Craig, watching Stan how he pressed his body against Craig’s side.

“Getting into bed so we can sleep,” responded Stan, cocking one brow at the other, like he’d be the one who asked stupid question.

“Yeah, but you have your own bed over there,” Craig gestured to the free bed and Stan glanced over his shoulder at it before turning back to Craig. “Normally people sleep separated when two beds are available.”

“But we always sleep together!” Argued Stan, leaning up on his hands to be taller than Craig. “I don’t want to sleep alone, you never had a problem with it before. Why didn’t you say that this was unusual back then?”

Craig groaned lightly and stroked over his face. “You know what? I don’t care, you can sleep here. I’m too tired to argue about this.” Stan gave him a winning smile before cuddling close to Craig, resting his head on his chest and yawning loudly.

“I feel save here,” mentioned Stan in a whisper, Craig could see his ears turning red. “I have the feeling that you know what you do and… And that you can protect me. Maybe because you were the first person I had contact with or because you saved me a few times now but, I like being around you. Does this make sense?”

“Kind of,” mumbled Craig, placing one of his hands on Stan’s head and stroking his soft hair, the smell of strawberries flowing over to him. Stan was like a dog that ran after the first person who was willing to help him. He felt save around him and knew that as long as he stayed close, he’d have someone to look after him, making sure he eats and had a place to sleep. “It’s natural instinct, you want to survive and I help you with that task, that’s it.”

Stan frowned lightly and shook his head lightly, not strong enough to make Craig’s stroking stop. “I don’t know, it feels deeper, like it’s more important than simply surviving.”

“More important that surviving? Well, _that_ doesn’t make sense, Stan. We live to survive, what other purpose is there than that? What could be more important than to live?” Stan just shrugged at that, not knowing the answer about this question. He seemed to be confused, like he wouldn’t understand what he was feeling, and thinking back about their talk from the ship, he probably really didn’t.

“You said you have a sister, any more family?”

“Nope.”

“Did you have any pets like a space cow before you decided to join the rebellion?”

Craig chuckled lightly, that boy really fell in love with the cows. “Well, I used to own a guinea pig,” he started while thinking back, “When I was younger and had the time to take care of one, his name was Stripe. But after I started to work for the military that time was gone and I couldn’t get a new one after Stripe died.”

“Oh… I’m sorry to hear this,” Stan said with empathy lacing his voice, he moved his head so he could look up at Craig. “What is a guinea pig..?”

A soft laugh came from Craig at that question and he thought for a second before answering. “They are furry potatoes,” he decided to explain it like that, not knowing how to describe them better. “They’re small with cute flappy ears and big, dumb looking eyes. They make squeaking sounds and sometimes have a hanging lip.”

“You really seem to like them,” whispered Stan, his eyes slowly falling close. “Would you want one again..?”

“Sure, but there’s just no time, you know? Maybe when I retire and have more time,” Craig said, chuckling softly when he noticed that Stan fell asleep. He kept stroking through his hair a bit longer, enjoying the soft breathing coming from Stan. It didn’t take much longer for Craig to fall asleep, too, unconsciously pulling Stan closer to him, enjoying his warmth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that was the second chapter of Till The Last Starlight! 
> 
> Your comments motivated me so much, that I decided to keep uploading this story. Once I finished a chapter I will upload it here, but I will take my time to make sure there aren’t any plot holes. So please excuse me when it maybe takes some weeks for a new chapter! 
> 
> Thathorot and Wargorgs are names I made up just for this fanfiction! I don’t think anything’s going to come up when you look them up on the internet. The Planet Proxima Centauri b (Short just Proxima b) actually exists and is a planet that has an Earth Similarity Index of 0,87. 
> 
> Btw, there will be scenes that will in Stan’s point of view. I don’t think there will be much or that they’ll be long, but there will ne. I guess, I planned them but I don’t know if I will actually use them. Just be prepared when I do. 
> 
> [My Tumblr!](https://natari-55.tumblr.com/)  
> [Buy Me A Ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/natari) and send me a prompt/Character/ship (South park and Gravity falls only) and I'll write you a short 500+ words One Shot :3
> 
> Stay tuned!
> 
> Comments are always appreciated and a VERY big motivation for every writer!


	3. The People Who Cry War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Blood, Violence, Sexual Content 
> 
> Not Beta-Read, so please excuse small errors!

The first thing Craig noticed when he woke up was the missing warmth from the night before. His brain, that was still dizzy from the sleep, registered that the bed had much more space than before and he stretched out his sore limbs. Taking his chance the noirette slid more into the middle of the mattress and cuddles the blanket, trying to replace the missing heat from another body. While slowly waking up more, Craig remembered why he was missing a body, because there was supposed to be someone else in this bed. Someone important.

He immediately shot up in the bed, eyes wide. Where was Stan?

Craig jumped out of the bed and looked around the main room, checking under the bed just in case Stan was hiding for some reason. Then he checked the kitchen part and inside the closed, the bath at the end. Panic started to spread in his body, screaming at him that he lost Stan, that he was probably abducted while he was sleeping peaceful in the bed. He lost the person who was probably the key to win the damn war, he lost a walking weapon. 

When he noticed that Stan’s cloak was missing, the former soldier figured that he must have gone out. Moving fast, Craig took everything he needed and pulled his own cloak over his body while running out of the room and down to the reception. He stopped in front of a woman who smiled at him, her head a bit tilted in question when she noticed how heavy he panted. “Sir… Are you-“

“Did a man, around this high and with a cloak similar to mine, leave the building?” He interrupted the woman, showing with his hands how tall Stan was and pulling at his cloth lightly. The woman was silent for a bit to think about it before her face lighted up in recognition.

“Yes!” She said with a lightly raised voice, “He told me that he was out to find a ‘furry potato’?” The woman raised an eyebrow in confusion, silently asking Craig what that meant. The blackhead looked appalled at her before bursting out of the building, running towards the market they walked through the day before. He looked around with wide eyes, eyebrows furrowed by the thought that Stan just left, even though he knew he was supposed to stay inside.

“Stan?!” He started to yell, gaining weird looks but ignoring them while trying to walk through the mass of people. His senses were sharpened and he tried to filter out the other’s voice, hoping to find him. It wasn’t exactly helpful that most people wore a cloak like he did; at least his height was something he could recognize the smaller with. His eyes roamed around, his voice was getting hoarse from all the shouting and he just couldn’t find him.

“What do you think you’re doing?! You have to pay for this, you thief!” A deep voice ranked through the market, Craig ignored it, just another idiot trying to steal food. He didn’t have the time to stop and gawked at the event like everyone else. But he froze the second the man continued talking. “Do you think guinea pigs are for free?!” Guinea Pigs?

Craig turned around and was able to see the man whose face was framed by a white beard, going over his shin. His eyes were wide in fury and he held a younger person by the wrist, pulling him back. When he recognized Stan as the other person, Craig bolted through the crowed, watching how the man slammed Stan’s free hand on the wooden counter. There was a guinea pig in the other hand of the noirette, squeaking loudly.

“People who try to steal have to pay!” Yelled the older man while lifting his right arm, a big knife in his grip. Before the knife could come down to cut of Stan’s hand, Craig slammed the man away, pushing Stan behind him. “What the-?!”

“Don’t do that! I will pay for him,” the noirette claimed, looking the older in the eyes while pulling his wallet out. “He didn’t know better.” With a huff the bearded male nodded, walking behind the counter before accepting the money.

“C-Craig, I-I’m so sorry, I didn’t-“ Stan started to stutter, blue eyes still wide and filled with pure horror while holding the small pet close to his pet.

“We’ll talk about this later, Stan,” grumbled Craig out, taking a step closer to hand out the money, but before it reached its destiny a man started to shout.

“Those are the ones from the wanted letters!”

_Fuck._

Craig turned around and looked for the person who said that but the people were already muttering. He could hear them say thing like ‘Is that really them?’, ‘Aren’t they dangerous?’ and ‘We should call the police’. Without wasting a second the noirette grabbed Stan’s hand and pulled out one of his guns, pointing it at the mass. The people immediately jumped away, thinking that Craig was serious danger and made a passage for them to run through. He could hear the old man yell after them, saying that he didn’t pay but Craig and Stan were just running now.

When they were in a more silent and emptier part of the town, Craig noticed that Stan was still holding onto the guinea pig. He wanted to stop and make sure that he was safe, but suddenly two police men were following them, telling them to stop. Not listening to them, Craig kept pulling Stan a long, noticing that he was getting out of breath and let his body being pulled. “Stan, keep running or they’ll get us!” Craig shouted, regretting it because it took too much of his own breath.

“I-I can’t anymore!” Stan breathed, almost impossible for the other to understand him. And then he shrieked and was ripped out of Craig’s grip. One of the officers held onto his cloak, drawing him closer to his body and the cloak off. Out of pure intention the ex-soldier turned around, his gun lifted in one hand and shot.

A deafening _pang_ echoed through the empty alley they were standing in, silence followed before the air was filled with heavy breathing. The world seemed to be frozen and Stan’s eyes were glowing in a pale blue while sitting on the ground, looking up horrified. His skin was pale and there were red little dots sprinkled over his face like spilled paint. The officer who got shot was frozen in the air while falling back, a hole in his forehead with blood oozing out. Next to him was the second officer, frozen in time, too, and looking towards his partner.

Craig took fast steps towards Stan, forcing him up on his knees and dragged him along to a corner. He turned to him and saw his large eyes, widened in horror and surrounded by blood. Stan was trembling, holding the guinea pig with both hands and as close as possible, swallowing hard. His eyes were staring at nothing before they focused on Craig’s, silently asking for help.

But Craig didn’t know what to do, there wasn’t much time for comfort because people were still looking for them. He bit his lower lip and took off his cloak to wrap it around Stan’s shoulder, pulling the hood up and over his head. Then he cupped his face in his hands and fixed his eyes on the other’s, blue meeting blue like the ocean met the sky. “Stan, it’s okay, you’re okay. Once we’re in the ship to get to the Thathorot everything will calm down but we need to move, people are looking for us.”

Stan sniffed but was able to nod weakly, tears started to form in the corners of his eyes and Craig used his thumbs to wipe them away. He wanted to say more encouraging words, wanted to help the miserable person in front of him, but the frozen bodies started to slowly move again and they had to get away. Craig grabbed Stan’s hand and intertwined their fingers to make sure, that no one could rip him away again, and then they started to run.

They ran for minutes, trying to avoid the crowded streets and only using alleys. From time to time they had to hide from the police and, what Craig noticed, the military of the UOU. So they were informed and got to this planet just to get them back, things were serious. Stan was important; otherwise the UOU would not have been so fast in getting here. After some running they were able to find their way to an open field with high grass. They ran through it and shortly after a space ship flew above their heads and landed in front of them.

Craig shoved Stan behind him to protect him like a shield while aiming his blaster at the door of the ship. The door opened upward and small stairs expanded from it to help getting in and out of the vehicle. And soon after someone was walking out, a smug smile on their lips as they descended. “I’m hurt that you aim your blaster at me, Tucker,” Kyle said, raising an eyebrow at his friend.

The noirette exhaled a breath he didn’t know he was holding and lowered his weapon with a groan. “Are you serious, couldn’t you have given me a warning or something? I thought you’d be some bounty hunter send by the government,” complained Craig and walked towards the redhead, Stan following him slowly.

“Well, strictly speaking I am a bounty hunter occasionally working for the government, but don’t worry, I won’t send you in,” mocked Kyle with another smile, only noticing Stan when both the noirettes stood in front of him. “So… That’s him?” He tilted his head towards the smaller of the two, Kyle was around his height.

“Yeah,” Craig stepped a bit away so he wouldn’t stand between him and Kyle. “Stan, this is Kyle, a good friend of mine, we can trust him,” he ensured and Stan immediately relaxed so that he wasn’t holding onto the pet in his hands too tights anymore. “Kyle, this is Stan, you know everything by now?”

“Yeah, Kenny called me and explained everything. Now that you’re this boy’s babysitter they trust me, too. Let’s move before someone notice us,” hurried the redhead before walking into the ship followed by the other two. The Space Ship was a bit bigger than the one Craig used, a bigger cockpit that was separated from the resting space by a metal wall. “You can rest in the back while I fly, this one is pretty fast and the government doesn’t know about me being in the rebellion so we should be safe from attacks.”

“Alright, thanks,” mumbled Craig while leading Stan in the back. There was a big bed and a desk in the room, also a small closet for longer travels. It was a ship a couple would use to travel through the galaxy during their honeymoon or vacations. Stan was moving to the wall and sat down on the ground between the bed and closet, squeezing into the small space. Craig raised an eyebrow at him and walked over, looking down at him. “Stan?”

Stan didn’t look up, instead he stared ahead and through Craig’s legs, still holding the guinea pig close and stroking it with a trembling hand. Craig frowned and kneeled down in front of him, placing a hand on Stan’s leg only for him to flinch together. “Hey, it’s okay,” whispered Craig, making sure not to scare him with his voice. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

The smaller male gulped heavily and licked his lips before opening his mouth to answer, only to close it again without a word escaping. He repeated this process a few times, the trembling getting worse and tears starting to bloom in those blue eyes, turning them into an ocean. Craig eyebrows knitted more together as he noticed that Stan couldn’t form any words. So he stood up and pulled Stan up, too, the smaller one wincing by the sudden movement. But once Craig sat down in the spot Stan occupied before, the blackhead pulled him on his lap, wrapping his arms tightly around him.

With rocking motions Craig tried to calm Stan down, stroking over his back over and over again and lying his head on his. There was a comfortable silence between them, showing them that there wasn’t a need for words and that they could calm down. Stan slowly relaxed in the other’s arms; the tremors that took over his body were getting less and his breathing felt lighter. After another deep breath he decided to speak, his voice weak and gruff. “Y-You ki-killed that man…!” A loud sob erupted from his chest, making the tears stream faster again.

“Because he wanted to take you away, Stan,” Craig tried to explain, one of his hands started to thread through the black hair of the smaller hair. Then he moved both his hands to cup his cheeks and wipe away the blood, first spreading it over his skin before getting rid of it. His yellow eyes met the ones of Stan, drowning in them and their overwhelming tears. “Stan, this is what happens in a war. People are being used to fight against each other, to kill each other. That’s why it’s so important to get you to the rebellions hideout, to save the people of our universe. When…” He took a deep breath before continuing, “When we can’t do this, then million of people and animals will die, planets and even galaxies will be destroyed. I had to shoot this man; otherwise it would have been me who would have gotten hit by a bullet.”

Stan’s lips were trembling when he listened closely what Craig had to say, his trembling started to get worse again, and the tears kept running down his cheeks. The guinea pig in his hands squeaked silently, nuzzling against his chest in an almost comforting way. He glanced down to Craig’s chest and leaned forward, cuddling into his body and enjoying when the other wrapped his arms tightly around him. They kept rocking for a bit more, silence covering them like a blanket that tried to warm them up to rest.

“Hey,” Craig mumbled into Stan’s hair, his nose nuzzling the soft strand that still smelled good form the shower they took together. When he received a light hum from Stan, a confirmation that he was listening, he continued whispering. “Why did you steal the guinea pig?”

“I didn’t mean to steal it…” Confessed Stan, hiding his eyes in the crook of Craig’s neck and wetting it with the leftover tears. “I just didn’t know that I’d need to pay for it… And I wanted to get it for you, because you looked so happy last night when you talked about them. But then your eyes were sad after mentioning that you can’t have one anymore, I just wanted to see you smile again.” Stan’s voice was muffled against Craig’s collarbone.

The older sighed lightly, his hand drawing small circles in Stan’s lower back and he noticed how he stiffened again. “Did you know that guinea pigs are called like that, because when they were transported over the ocean to Guinea they squeaked like Earth-Pigs?” When Stan turned his head lightly to the side, he knew he had his attention. “And they always jump into the air when they’re happy, we call that popcorning. It’s really cute.”

Stan leaned a bit back and looked down at the guinea pig against his chest, it fell asleep by now. “I want to call him Stripe, is that okay for you?” The noirette glanced up, a nervousness in his eyes.

“Sure,” Craig agreed, nodding lightly while looking down at the pet, it did resemble his other Stripes a bit, so that would be fine. “But once we’re on Thathorot we’ll need a big cage, food and water for it and probably get another one. They’re supposed to be at least two, otherwise they’d feel lonely and have no one to talk to.”

“But we’ll be there,” Stan threw in.

“Yeah, but they don’t understand our language just like we don’t understand theirs. So we need a second one,” clarified the taller, making sure that Stan understood by the serious tone in his voice. “So we’ll look for one as soon as possible, so Stripe won’t feel too lonely. Alright?”

“Alright,” nodded Stan before leaning back against Craig, getting more comfortable in his lap before closing his eyes. The noirette’s breathe soon started to get heavier and just a few seconds later he’s fast asleep. 

Craig looked down at him and played with his black hair, enjoying how fluffy it was. He smiled when Stan whined silently in annoyance, moving to hide his face in the taller’s shoulder, sighing be the warmth. With a huff Craig let his head fall back against the metallic wall of the space ship, groaning lightly when his skull ached in pain. A glance down at Stan and he continued to stroke through his hair and using his other hand to stroke over his back. Stan was cute and Craig’s heart started to beat faster, indicating an ache he didn’t want to feel. “My God, what am I doing here…?” He asked himself in a whisper before giving up answering his own question, not wanting an answer to it.

He knew what this feeling was, but he didn’t want it. Not now, not with him. Craig wasn’t up for another tragedy in his life.

After a few hours of flying they finally landed on Thathorot, Kyle got up and walked to them in the back. His eyebrow shot up when he saw them sitting on the corner, Stan on his friend’s lap and sleeping peacefully. Craig was wide awake and looked up at the redhead. “Don’t you dare-“

“I see you found a new boyfriend,” Kyle immediately commented with a mean smirk on his lips, chuckling when Craig groaned. “Would you please wake up your sleeping beauty? We’re on Thathorot and Bebe is already waiting outside for us.”

“Yeah yeah, we’re coming,” murmured the noirette and watched how Kyle left the back room to open the door to get out. “Hey, Stan,” Craig said, shaking the other lightly, “Wake up, we’re there.” Stan moaned lightly in discomfort and irritation before straightening his back and rubbed his eyes with one hand. Understanding what Craig wanted from him he slowly stood up, holding Stripe close to make sure he wouldn’t let him fall. Craig slowly stood up, too, stretching out every leg and loosening the muscles a bit. “Ready to meet the others?”

Stan yawned loudly and then nodded slowly. “I guess?” He shrugged lightly and got a nod from Craig, following him to the door at the cockpit. Kyle was already standing outside and talked to Bebe about his travel when Craig and Stan walked down the small ramp, Stan holding onto Craig’s sleeve to make sure he wouldn’t fall. They were on a big wide field, bright green grass was growing under their feet and in the distance a big forest could be seen.

Bebe turned to them and her eyes started shining in a bright green when she saw Stan behind Craig. “Oh, is that Stan? He’s so cute!” She squeaked and Stan cocked an eyebrow at her words, he wanted to protest but Bebe was faster. “My name is Bebe, I’m part of the Rebellion and will help protecting you from the government! I bet we will be friends faster than you can say ‘Super Best Friends’!” Stan was overwhelmed by her fast talking and he didn’t get a chance to say anything in return before the blonde turned to Craig and Kyle who stood next to each other now. “Okay, Craig, let’s go to Wendy and meet Tweek, the leader of the Wargorgs, just follow me.”

The blonde turned around and the three followed her silently, Craig walked in the middle while Stan was to his right, holding onto his arm and Kyle to his left, Bebe walked a little bit ahead to show the way. “And?” Kyle started after they walked for a while. “Already regretting that you accepted all this? The newbie seemed to grow attached to you already.”

“Surprisingly no, it’s better than working for the government until now and Stan is…” Craig glanced to the blackhead who looked around with big eyes, staring at the trees that surrounded them now that they entered the forest. “He’s okay, a bit challenging at time because he has to learn a lot, but okay.”

“Why is he holding a guinea pig?”

“He stole it after he heard about my former ones, he almost got his hand cut off when I would have been just a bit slower,” sighed the noirette at the memory of this moment, he would never forget it.

Kyle snorted next to him, holding down a chuckled. “Adorable, but Kenny told me that he lost if memories after being frozen for so long? Poor guy.”

“Yeah, but he can deal with it, maybe we’ll find a way to get him to remember.”

Are you sure you want this?”

Craig rose his eyebrows and lightly turned to face his friend before they knitted together in a frown. “What do you mean?”

“Can you imagine your brain being shut down for thousands maybe million of years and then suddenly remembering everything that happened in his life before being caught in there?” Asked Kyle, Craig knew it was rhetorical because the redhead immediately answered his own question. “Remembering all this stuff could seriously damage him, Craig, especially when he’d remember everything at all. Those are a lot of information to handle for a normal human brain and we don’t even know if his brain works like ours, maybe it’s even more sensitive. He’s not a Cyborg or Robot who can just download everything and put it in files; he’s completely made out of flesh.”

“I get what you mean,” Craig said before turning away again. “I’ll talk with Wendy about it, maybe the leader of the rebellion knows more. Oh, by the way,” he started to smirk in a mocking way, ready to let Kyle turn red like a tomato.”When did you plan to tell me that of all people, you started to date the younger brother of my ex?”

And just like he predicted the whole face of his friend turned red, making it impossible to see where skin ended and hair started. “Oh! Ehm, y-you know when- I wanted to- but the rebellion! I-It was just- And the situation! – Impossible to be open- And yeah, you know?” Stuttered Kyle over his words, not exactly knowing what to say while at the same time knowing what information were important. He sighed loudly and stroked with his hands over his face, taking a deep breath before trying again while Craig laughed next to him. “I couldn’t because he’s Kenny McCormick, the most wanted Cyborg in the whole Universe, you know it was too dangerous.”

“Yeah, excuses,” snickered the noirette, gaining an annoyed look from Kyle that soon turned into amusement, knowing that Craig just wanted to be an asshole. “He said you got together when you tried catching him?”

“Yep,” Kyle popped the ‘p’ and Stan looked at him for a second when he heard it. “He just wasn’t what I was expecting. Normally when I hunt down a Cyborg they attack me the second they lay eyes on me, but Kenny? Kenny smiled and talked, flirted with me and he was just so charming and simply nice, a real gentleman. I couldn’t hand him over to the government, do you know what they do with Cyborgs?”

Craig looked down in front of him, watching Bebe’s footstep and noticing how she haltered for a second. She was listening to them, she tried to hide it but the way she just flinched showed that she heard every word. Not many people knew about the way prisoners of the government were treated, unimportant what kind of prisoners. Most think that they were being put in a cell and be questioned, that’s it. But it wasn’t that easy and surly not that peaceful.

Thanks to Craig’s position in the Marine he knew everything, he knew about the way none-human prisoners were treated. One of the reasons the Rebellion started to rise was the badly hidden racism that was going on, when you weren’t human or any other superior race, you were nothing. Worthless shit with no rights at all and Cyborgs had it worst, especially one from the Rebellion. Craig knew about the way they slowly pulled off their still human limbs, played around with their robotic parts and sometimes forcing them with special chips to fight against each other, betting on the stronger one. How they slowly deleted their memories one after the other, first all the good moments, then about their families, their loved ones and install nightmares. All this only to kill them in the end and using their parts to build whatever they want.

It was the cruel reality and Kyle used to hand Cyborgs out to them, he earned his livelihood with capturing them and forcing them to the prison doors. After those doors were closed he walked home and kept living his normal life, but the way he looked now was evident that Kenny told him what happened. And that Kyle felt guilt eating him up.

Craig placed one hand on his shoulder to gain his best friend’s attention, smiling lightly in a comforting way at him. “You didn’t know Kyle; none of this is your fault. I knew about all of this and still let you do it, because it was your job but now you use your earned experience for something good. And you found Kenny thanks to this, after all. Just don’t let this get to you now, we need your clear mind to get through all of this.”

Kyle breathed a laugh and nodded, looking down at his hands while biting his lips. “I know, thanks Dude.”

“Okay guys!” Bebe suddenly beamed, her voice almost loud enough to count it as yelling. “Welcome in the Village of the Wargorgs!” When Craig looked up they were in front of a big wooden gate that was slowly opening, leading inside an area that was surrounded by a high wooden fence made out of tree trunks that were sharp on the top. Once they entered they were in something that looked like a village, small huts were placed randomly and people were walking around.

Their skin was pale and grayish and most of them had something black smeared around their mouth, teeth painted over it. Some others seemed to have tattoos over their body, varying in color and pattern. They seem to wear them with pride by exposing as much of their upper body as possible, only the few children he saw had still a rather pinkish skin and were free from the tattoos. Most of them were running around with wooden weapons in their hand, already using the game to prepare for future fights they would surly held as grownups.

“The Wargorgs are a very proud tribe and excellent when it comes to physical fights and strategic wars,” explained Bebe while leading them through the village, knowing the way to Wendy with closed eyes. “Tweek Tweak, their leader, is known for his strong weapons and the heritage he got from the first Wargorgs, not many have those powers at all, but Tweek’s are especially strong. That’s why we hope that he can help us out with his people; he joined the Rebellion because their tribe wants to stay independent from the UOU.”

Stan was now holding stronger onto Craig’s arm, pressing himself against his side when the Wargorgs stared at him. Craig pulled his arm away and instead wrapped it around the smaller’s shoulder, pulling him close to ensure his safety. Yes, he got protective over Stan during their travel, it was natural by now. As long as they weren’t with Wendy and the others it was still his duty to escort him safely. Just like a job she could have gotten from the government, just that he didn’t get paid for it and did it to safe the universe.

Bebe’s steps got faster, moving them along to a hut that was bigger than the others. When she saw Wendy in front of it she ran up to her and hugged her, whispering something into her girlfriend’s ear. “There you are,” Wendy said once the trio was in earshot and her eyes flew over Stan’s body within a second. “You must be Stanley, right?” She detached her hip from Bebe’s and took a step towards Stan, Craig carefully pushed him to her with his hand on his lower back. Wendy stretched out her hand and wore a welcoming smile on her lips. “My name is Wendy Testaburger and I’m part of the Rebellion, it’s nice to meet you.”

The noirette looked her up and down before taking her hand and shaking it, a smile slowly growing on his lips, too. “Hey, I’m Stanley but you can call me Stan when you want. It’s nice meeting you, too, Wendy.” They let go of each other’s hands and Kyle and Craig stepped closer to them, ready to hear from the female blackhead what will happen now.

“So, this is the meeting room of the Wargorgs, Tweek and a few of his men are waiting inside to talk with us about the plans. That means what groups we will form, where which group will go and stuff like that,” explained the woman while gesturing wildly with her hand, an arm from Bebe was slung around her hip. “We will probably stay here for three day or less, definitely not longer. The UOU visits this planet regularly to try and get the Wargorgs on their side, the chances to be caught are too big.”

“Wait, don’t they know what they’re part of the rebellion?” Kyle asked with raised eyebrows, surprised that they even chose this planet to meet with Tweek when it was such a high risk.

“They do, but they think that they’re not actively part, that they use it as an excuse to not join the UOU. Till now the Wargorgs never fought against the government or military, they kept silent and stayed here on their planet and we want to keep it like that as long as possible. Once they know we’re hiding here this peace is over and we probably cause the burn down of a whole village,” clarified Wendy with earnestness, her voice strong and not falling over her words once. “Once Tweek decides that our plans can work out we will attack when the time has come, till then we want to be void of war as much as possible.”

“That’s a good plan,” agreed Kyle, earning a nod from Craig and Stan. “Is Kenny in there?”

“No, he’s in your hut to rest; he had a play fight with some Wargorgs and is exhausted.”

Kyle groaned loudly and shook his head while pinching the bridge of his nose. “Alright, I’ll go to him so you all can talk in peace. Where is the hut?”

“Down that way and then after three houses left,” Bebe gestured with her arms, Kyle looking down in the directions before waving and then leaving. “Stan? Are you exhausted and maybe want to rest, too?”

“No, I want to listen to this, too, it involves me, right?” Answered the blackhead, looking serious at the blonde and getting a nod in return. Bebe and Wendy glanced at each other before turning around and knocking against the wooden door. They opened it slowly and the four of them walk inside a room with a big table in the center. At the end of the table on a throne like seat sat one of the Wargorgs.

“Stanley, Craig,” Wendy glanced to them before gesturing to the man on the throne, “This is Tweek Tweak, the leader of the Wargorgs.” Craig stared at the man in front of them, a bit confused because he didn’t look as buff as some of the people outside. His blonde hair was brushed back in a wild mane, showing off his rather chubby face and make up. He had the black smudge around his eyes as well as around his mouth, with thin black lines teeth were drawn on his lips. The body of Tweek was just as grey-ish as the others; a few red shining tattoos covered it. Next to him stood a man whose skin was in a darker grey tone, his tattoos were standing out and seemed to shine almost.

Amber eyes were staring them down and Tweek raised an eyebrow when looking over the newcomers. “Tweek,” Wendy continued, “Those are Stan and Craig.”

The leader of the tribe nodded at them before standing up, showing that he was smaller than Craig and still giving out an intimidating vibe. “Welcome, the man next to me is called David and he is my personal adviser and partner,” explained Tweek, glancing at David who gave him a soft smile before both turned back to the four. “Please step forth and around the table, we have a lot to discuss.” And just as the blonde said everyone in the room gathered around the table. Papers were scattered over it and Craig suddenly was aware that he didn’t see any kind of technology when they walked through the village.

“Who of you is the one from the papers?” Asked David while glancing between Stan and Craig, his eyes lingered on the letter for a while in the hope that it would be him.

“That would be Stanny,” Bebe said, gesturing to Stan who nodded lightly. Tweek and David shared another glance, before their gazes fell back on the smaller noirette.

“Are you sure?” He asked, one eyebrow cocked while he looked Stan up and down.

“What do you mean?” Hissed Stan, brows furrowed and lips pulled up in a sneer.

“Well, you don’t really look like on the papers and you look like the weakest person in the room,” David explained, earning a loud an offended gasp from Stan. Before he could say anything to offend the Wargorgs, Wendy interfered.

“It is him, Craig already saw him using his powers, right?” She nervously glanced to the man who nodded.

“What’s with the third eye?” Tweek questioned while sliding the paper with the drawing to them, Stan looked over it with big eyes.

“My guess is that the third eye only shows when he’s using a bigger amount of his powers,” Craig mentioned while looking at the papers, too. “He has birth marks on his forehead that look like a closed eye; he simply didn’t need it yet. I could be wrong of course, but I was there when he used his powers, people were frozen in their fall and bullets were hovering in the air.” He moved to shove Stan’s bangs away, revealing the birth marks he talked about.

Tweek frowned at this but nodded, believing him. Stan, who was still holding the guinea pig close to his chest, looked around everyone. “I don’t want to be used as a weapon,” he threw in, gaining the attention of the other people in the room. “Craig told me that the government found me and wanted to use me as a weapon against planets who don’t want to join them. Of course I don’t want to be used as a weapon from them, but I also don’t want to be used as a weapon by you. The side I’m taking is irrelevant to me; I just don’t want to be used for something to hurt people…”

“Stan,” David spoke up, his brows furrowed in sympathy, “We don’t want to use you, none of us want this, all we want to do is protect you.”

Wendy placed a hand on Stan’s shoulder and smiles softly at him, Stan giving back the hint of a smile. Her hand left him and she turned to everyone around the table, her face serious. “Our plans now are that we will take Stan to the leader of our rebellion where he can be protected and hidden properly. The journey could take some time, though, depending on how often the UOU finds us. That’s why we will separate our people into teams; Stan will travel with Bebe and me directly to our leader with the help of some of your people. Craig,” she turned to the noirette who was listening intensely. “You and Tricia will stay here for a bit longer and then get a new mission.”

“What?” Stan almost yelled, looking at Wendy with wide eyes. “Craig won’t come with me?”

“No honey,” Bebe said, “It was his job to get you here, from now on he will do other stuff for the rebellion while we get you to safety as soon as possible.”

“But I want to stay with him!” Exclaimed the smaller noirette, “I will only go with you when I can stay with Craig, otherwise I won’t go along.” Craig sighed lightly and started to pinch his forehead together with his index finger and thumb. “What?!” Stan turned to him, eyes furrowed.

“We do this to protect you, you know?” He grumbled without even looking at the younger. “It was planned right from the beginning that we’d separate here.”

“But-“ Stan muttered, looking down at Stripe and stroking over his head. “…You promised that we’d look after him together. And you’re the only one I can trust…” He glanced around, “…No offense.”

“None taken, Honey,” Bebe reassured.

“So you either come with me or I stay here with you, but I won’t leave your side,” huffed Stan, stomping with one foot to emphasize how serious he was.

Tweek exhaled loudly and got the attention of everyone around the table, David put a comforting hand on the blonde’s lower back. He leaned to him and whispered something in his ear, Tweek nodded occasionally and peeked at Craig and Stan. When David pulled away again, Tweek cleared his throat before talking. “So, I guess he will stay with you then,” he looked at Craig who simply nodded before looking back at Wendy, “And that means we will need to make a new plan with new groups and I’d like to plan this as soon as possible. The UOU could be back every second and I want most of you gone till then, we could only have hidden Craig and his sister in case they’d look through the village for them. There’s not enough space for more.”

“So, while Wendy, Bebe, Tweek and I talk about this little issue, you two can rest up in your own hut,” David noted, “I’ll lead you there now.” Stan and Craig nodded at David and followed him outside and then towards a two huts directly next to each other in the further back. “Both of you have their own huts with to live in, but don’t worry,” he looked at Stan who already wanted to complain, “They’re right next to each other, we just thought that each of you deserved their own bed and bathroom.”

Once they arrived at the hut David gestured to them. “Stan left and Craig right, we already left some clothes to change for each of you. You can roam free in the village and talk to our people or ask them questions, we’ll make sure someone will find you to take you to dinner once’s it’s time. But I’d recommend for you to rest until then, maybe take a shower and relax.”

“Thank you,” Craig said with a nod, David smile at them and left after making sure they knew everything they needed for now. Once he was gone, Craig pointed at Stan’s door and the smaller walked through before he entered his own hut. He looked around and was surprised that it was rather modern, a wooden bed with ornaments carved in them and a closet and mirror with the same design. On the bed lay clothes for Craig to change into, they looked more comfortable than his soldier uniform and he decided to take a shower before putting them on. The bag that he prepared before the mission started was sitting under the bed, but Craig decided to check through his stuff later.

He walked into the attached bathroom and gawked at the shiny tiles on the floor and wall. There was a giant mirror hanging on the wall with lightly surrounding it and a modern toilet placed in the corner. Along another wall was a big bathtub with a shower head hanging from the ceiling and it was his intention to use it. Craig took off his clothes, ascending them on the bathroom floor and climbed into the bathtub.

A heavy and relieving sigh escaped his nose while he sank down into the hot water, glad that the Wargorgs used modern technology after all. Craig leaned back against the soft headrest of the tub, looking up at the dark ceiling and watching the steam rise into the air. He relaxed his tense muscles and just let the comforting heat soak into his body, effortlessly making him sleepy. But instead of taking a nap in the uncomfortable bathtub, Craig decided to wash his body and hair properly to get rid of all the dirt, and later resting on the bed.

Once all the dirt was off from his hair and body and the water slightly darker than before, the ex soldier got up and out of the tub while draining the water. With a rather fluffy towel he started dry his skin and hair, looking in the mirror and watching some scars from former missions move over his muscles. He huffed loudly before throwing the towels in a basket and started to get dressed into something comfortable that was laid out on his bed.

When he finished dressing into a normal shirt and comfortable trousers he exited the bathroom and let his body fall onto the bed. Even the mattress was perfect and comfortable, how did those Wargorgs do all this while their village still looked so primitive? He decided to think about this later and instead sleep until dinner. As he was getting comfortable he heard a knock on the door and looked up. “Come in,” he allowed, watching as the door slowly opened to the inside and Stan stepping in, Stripe in his arms.

“Hey…” Stan mumbled with a voice almost inaudible for Craig, looking down at the floor. “I didn’t want to be alone and thought it’d be okay to come to your room.”

Craig watched him standing at the door for a few seconds before sitting up and stroking through his still slightly wet hair. “Stan, listen, we can’t be together all the time? We need some time for ourselves, you know? To sort things out in our head and stuff like that, that you reacted like that when we talked about the mission was childish. We’ll be separated sooner or later you can’t change that.”

“But I only trust you, Craig!” Stan almost yelled with a slightly strained voice, “I don’t know any of those people and I can’t trust them and you want to send me away with them?”

An annoyed groan slipped past Craig’s lip, making Stan flinch lightly where he stood. “Listen, you act like some spoiled brat! You only know me for a few days, too, and only trust me because I saved you back then, but, Newsflash! Once you’re with the leader I will leave, Stanley, I’ll keep going on missions for the rebellion while you stay in your hide out. I have a responsibility now, just like you do and it’s time for you to accept this.”

Stan’s respond was caught in his throat and he could only frown at Craig with fury in his eyes. He walked over to the bed and sat down, holding Stripe in his lap who was softly nibbling on his finger. For a brief moment Craig felt remorse for what he said, but there was no logic in apologizing for it, because he only spoke the truth. They have to separate one day, at least when the rebellion tells him to, but he wouldn’t dare to stay safe in some hideout while people like his sister were out there risking their lives.

Craig moved his arm to place a hand on Stan’s, pausing in his movement when he glanced at the taller, but he still put his hand down. “Listen, I know it’s hard and all this is probably really overwhelming for you, but this is important for the future of our universe. I promise that I will stay in contact with you and visit when I find the time, once you’re at the safe place, but you have to understand, that I will have to leave your side.”

The noirette’s gaze was down on Stripe, stroking over his head with his index finger and moving his head in a light nod. “…Did you see how Tweek and David interact with one another? Bebe and Wendy, too, it was like they knew what the other was thinking and needed,” muttered Stan, peeking at the man sitting next to him whose hand was still warm on his shoulder.

“Well, they’re partners and in love, so they probably do know what the other was thinking and what they needed,” explained Craig, thinking back to Tweek and David.

“Partners?” Stan looked up with a quizzically look on his face, “Love? What’s this?”

Craig looked down at Stan and cocked one of his brows, wondering if he was serious. He moved his hand away from Stan and scratched over his skull, thinking about the best way to explain it. While thinking he stood up and looked around the room, feeling the other’s waiting eyes on him and making him nervous. He searched the room for something to build a cage for Stripe and just decided to take one of the big drawers for clothes.

“Craig?” said Stan with a questioning undertone. “You didn’t answer me, and what are you doing there?”

This question was answered almost immediately. “Making a cage for Stripe to live in while we’re here, he can’t sleep in your bed because the danger of you rolling over him or he falling off the bed are too big.” Craig heard an offended ‘hey’ when he walked into the bathroom, taking one of the towels and then walking back. Stan was pouting now, staring at the ceiling with puffed out cheeks. “And partners are two people who love together, most likely even live together and spend most of their time in each other’s company,” he finally started to clarify while keeling down, putting the Towel in the empty drawer.

“And Love?” Pushed the younger looking one, his pouting behavior gone and now interested din what Craig had to say.

“Love is an emotion that is being forced on us over our brain, it make us feel happy and giddy, like, our body gets all warm when we’re around the person we love. It feels like insects run around inside you and you feel safe with this person, trust him and everything,” explained Craig, taking a small bowl and filling it with water before putting it in the drawer, too. He walked over to his backpack and took out some of the vegetables he took with him, glad to see that it’s still edible. “You’ll probably understand it once you feel it, it’s hard to describe because everyone experiences it a bit different, you know?” He looked up and frowned at Stan’s reddened face, walking towards him and feleing his forehead.

Stan squeaked likely and fats pulled away, touching his own forehead now, too. “Wh-What?” He asked, holding Stripe with one hand to his shoulder. Craig’s frown deepened and he walked closer to the other, leaning forward and checking his face.

“Are you getting sick, your face is all red?”

“Ah, no, it’s just a bit warmer on this planet and I’m not used to it yet,” countered Stan, pulling a bit more away from the older. Craig just shrugged it off and took Stripe from him, placing him in the do it yourself cage he created. The guinea pig immediately moved to the water to drink something before walking to the vegetable and eat it. Stan kneeled down and watched him with a smile on his face. “He must have been very thirsty and hungry.”

“Yeah, we should ask for some hay after dinner,” Craig proposed while stretching his arms up over his head, forcing down a yawn. “I’m tired and will take a nap now.” He walked back to the bed and climbed on his, lying down with a satisfied and tired exhale.

“But I’m not tired,” Stan said, still sitting by the cage. “I slept on the way here.”

“Congrats, I am tired though and will sleep now, go and play outside or something, but let me sleep,” grumbled the male on the bed, muffled by the pillow. He could hear Stan scoff loudly before his eyes fell close. Sleep was knocking him out in less than a few seconds, seeing some certain blackhead before his inner eye.

Stan was sitting on Craig’s bed, watching as black tangled hair framed his slender face perfectly, the slight shadow of his high cheekbones contouring it lightly. He observed his chest rising with every breath he took and enjoyed the peaceful face his made. A bit of saliva was running out of his open mouth, wetting the pillow where the fluid formed a small puddle. After a while Stan couldn’t stop himself and moved his hand through the slightly wet curls, wincing together when Craig moved, only to relax again after a second.

With tender movements Stan caressed the black mass, reminding him of the dark galaxy they travelled through together. Only stars were missing, but he doubted that there would appear white spots somewhere, not until he turned older. Stan got a bit excited to see his friend aging, watching new stars rising with every new white hair on his skull. But then he remembered what Craig said before, that he couldn’t stay with him forever because he had to fight for the rebellion.

It was war and Craig said that people die in wars. What when Craig would be one of those people? What when he leaves one day only to never return again? The thought made Stan shiver and he bit the inside of his cheek while picturing it. Someone coming to his hideout to tell him that Craig had fallen in a useless war while he was hiding somewhere. Pathetic. Who’d let someone he loved go to dangerous places while staying behind?

Someone he loved.

Love.

Stan’s dark blue eyes wandered over Craig’s body, back to his own hand that was still threading through the mess of hair. The way the blackhead described this feeling before, that you feel giddy around and warm around someone and that there’s tingling in your stomach. That you feel safest by this person’s side and trusted them, that was how Stan felt for Craig. He felt it almost from the start of their journey, but he couldn’t put a name to it, didn’t know what it meant. Those feelings were new for him and maybe it was because Craig was the only one he really knew yet, but he knew that he loved him.

The second he explained everything he knew it, he was sure he never felt like this even before he was frozen in the ice. Because this was a feeling you just couldn’t forget, right? Because it was burning into Stan’s heart, aching when Craig was angry at him and making him feel high when he smiled or laughed. How could one person forget this? Maybe because he never felt it before, maybe his life before Craig was cold and void of any positive emotions. Maybe it was dark without any hope of light. Maybe that was why Stan was frozen in there, because he had hoped to never wake up.

Shaking his head, Stan decided to ban those thought from his head, not wanting to feel this heavy sadness in his guts. Instead he looked through the room and occasionally at Craig again. Did he love Stan, too? How did people find out if feelings were mutual or not? And what when they were not…?

A silent sigh slipped past his teeth, filling the silent room with its heaviness. After watching Craig a bit more and noticing that Stripe was sound asleep as well, Stan decided to go outside and look a bit around. Maybe he could find someone to talk to or discover other cute animals like the Space Cows. He got off the bed and walked outside through the door, checking left and right and deciding to walk back from where they came.

The Wargorgs didn’t pay him much attention, some glanced at him, other greeted him with a nod or a wave, Stan always nodded or waved back. While walking around he got a tasty smell in his nostrils and he followed it, soon coming to a bigger hood with a big window. Inside were Wargorgs walking around or handling food like meat or vegetables. Seduced by the aroma of the different ingredients, Stan walked up to the window to look inside. One of the Wargorgs notice him and walked over to him, he held out a piece of fried vegetable. “You must be one of the rebellion people, right?”

The blackhead looked at the food before he took it reluctantly, nodding lightly as substitute of a vocal answer. He took a bite of the food and his eyes started to shine brightly by the delicious taste of the roasty aroma from outside and the sweet taste of the inside. “This is really good!” Stan praised the cook before taking another big bite, the cook laughed amused.

“Thanks, I’m the best cook of our tribe,” the man showed off with a bright smile over his face, “My name is Dogpoo and I’m the chef in this place, I make sure that we have the best and healthiest food.”

“My name is Stan, nice meeting you, Dogpoo,” replied the noirette after finishing his food. “When is dinner going to be ready?”

“Oh, only a few more minutes, don’t worry about it, but you should go back and wash your hands,” commented the man, “I have to finish up here now, so I can’t be distracted, but it was nice meeting you, Stan.”

“I can only give this back and thanks for the food, it was really good,” said Stan and he received a nod from the other. Once Dogpoo returned to work, Stan started to walk back to his hut, taking a different route to see a bit more of the village. After walking a bit he came past a house with the door slightly ajar and at first he wanted to just walk past it, but then he heard noises from inside. With a twisted feeling in his gut he walked up to the door as silent as possible by walking on his tiptoes.

Once he got to the door he took the handle in his hand and silently pulled it a bit more open, just enough to peep inside with one eye. His eye widened a bit when he saw the situation in the room. Kenny was lying on the bed and Stan was able to see his whole body, human and robotic parts, but that wasn’t the weird thing. Kyle was sitting on top of him, wearing no clothes either and breathing heavily while making slow motions with his hips. His hands were behind his back on the Cyborg’s legs and he was making loud noises with his mouth, Kenny on the other hand made deeper sounds, sounding almost like growls. The blonde’s hands were gripping Kyle’s hips tightly and sometimes he moved his lower body up which made Kyle _scream_.

At first Stan thought that this was something bad, that they were fighting and he should do something against this, but Kenny was smiling while watching his boyfriend. And then Kyle said those words, three easy words that turned everything around.

_I love you._

And Kenny said them back, he said them back and Kyle finally smiled, too. He leaned down to the blonde and cupped his cheeks before pressing his own, swollen lips on his. It was beautiful and so raw and Stan didn’t know what it was and why they did it, but it looked important. They looked so at peace all of a sudden and like nothing could ever harm them. And Stan wanted that, too. He wanted to feel the way they felt, he wanted to have the same love they share and not care about anything in the universe. Stan felt a weird kind of heat crippling up his spine, spreading in his chest and knocking the air out of his lungs.

He wanted to feel like this with Craig. Stan felt the desire to feel his hands over his body, his kisses on his skin and sweet words in his ear. The noirette didn’t exactly know what it meant, but Kyle and Kenny said they loved each other and that was what he wished from Craig the most.

_Love._

Craig woke up in an empty room, only Stripe was left behind with him but the guinea pig was sleeping peacefully. He got up and checked Stan’s hut in case he was there, but the blackhead must have listened to him and rummage through the village. With a yawn he left the hut and started to walk around, too, hoping to find his sister somewhere. But during his search he walked past a hut and saw Stan standing in front of the door, the handle in his hand and looking inside.

Silently he walked up to him, sneaking behind his back and daring a peek inside the room, too, only to find Kyle and Kenny in the middle of sex. Craig swallowed heavily and fast, but quietly, grabbed Stan’s arm and ripped him away from the door. He closed it as silently as possible and then pulled the smaller man along who wasn’t fighting; he just stared at Craig with slightly flushed cheeks. “What were you doing there?!” Craig asked with anger in his voice, only talking up when they got some distance to the hut.

“What were they doing? I first thought they were fighting and wanted to get between them but… but then they smiled and said they loved each other… What was that, Craig?” Stan looked up to him, confusion present in his gaze and even a bit of… fear?

Craig sighed lightly before rubbing his forehead, then turning to Stan to talk to him properly. “They had sex.”

“Sex?”

“Yes, that’s an activity most people need to relieve their bodily needs. It’s something natural and exists in the human, alien and animal world,” clarified the blackhead, “Maybe we should get you some books on human biology, you could learn much better through them than asking me all the time. I’m not a fucking teacher.” He scoffed loudly and continued to pull Stan along to their little huts. “And you don’t watch people doing this, understand? It’s none of our business and we won’t tell those two that we saw them, get it?”

“Get it,” Stan nodded and Craig just hoped that he understood this and took it serious. When they walked a few steps, David called out to them and told them to follow him to get dinner. They walked to the biggest building in the village which was a big hall for dinner. Three long tables stood along the walls, making it look like the cafeteria Craig used to go during his Marine School days. On top of the three tables stood a fourth one horizontal to them Tweek and two other people, most likely Tweek’s parents, sat there. Wend and Bebe, too. David told them that they could sit down wherever they wanted to, before walking up to his seat next to Tweek’s.

Craig looked around and he felt a shower of relieve raining down on him when he recognized Tricia on the crowd. She was sitting next to Karen and whore clothes similar to Wendy’s, clothes most people of the rebellion wore. He fast walked up to her and poked her shoulder, hard, to earn her attention. Annoyed she turned around and her eyes lit up when seeing her older brother, her facial expression stayed annoyed. “What? Finally made it here, too? Kinda late, don’t you think?” Despite those words, Tricia stood up and accepted a crushing hug from her brother.

The former soldier pulled her as close as possible, making sure that it really was his sister and not some weird clone. He only started to let go of her when she nagged about not being able to breathe anymore. Craig kept his hands on her shoulders and looked her up and down, nodding lightly when he didn’t see any injuries. “Had some complications when I escorted the key to the end of the war around, you know?”

Tricia raised an eyebrow at him and looked behind her brother, seeing Stan standing there. “Is that him?” She got a nod in return and she looked back up on her brother. “He’s cute.”

“Tricia,” Karen said with rosy cheeks, shaking her head in disbelieve.

“What? I didn’t mean for me, but for my brother, he seems to be his typ.”

“Okay, I think I already had enough of you for the next six month,” complained Craig with an eye roll. He got flipped off by his sister and he returned it before sitting down next to her, Stan taking the seat next to him. “Anything I need to know?”

“Not really,” Tricia answered while putting some meat on her plate, “I’m on the wanted list of the government now, but my bounty is so small that no one is interested in chasing after me. Yours on the other hand rises with every new day to come, congrats; you’re one of the most wanted criminals in the universe with a big bounty on your head.”

“But still not as big as mine!” A cheery voice exclaimed, Kenny sitting down across from them with a wide and proud grin on his face. Kyle sat down next to him, already taking some of the food on his plate to eat.

“I don’t know if you should be so proud about this, Ken,” commented Karen with a weary face. “I mean, they’ll probably kill you when they have the possibility to.”

“But they don’t, the only one who could have killed me is now my boyfriend, so I guess I ain’t need to worry,” explained the blonde while wrapping an arm around Kyle’s shoulder, squeezing lightly when he rolled his green eyes in played annoyance. “I’m safe, don’t worry Karen.”

They kept talking for a bit more, Craig occasionally explained Stan what which food was supposed to be. The hall was filled after a few minutes, no seat free anymore and that was when Tweek rose from his chair and got the attention of everyone in the room. “My dear people and guests, today the last group of the rebellion arrived in our village and we welcome them in our home. I and they talked about a good tactic to go from here on and Wendy is going to explain our next steps.” He glanced at her and nodded lightly before sitting down, Wendy stood up at the same time.

“Dear Wargorgs and rebels, after talking for a few hours with your leader and his partner we found the solution that seemed to fit best. We will make three groups: group one are Kyle, Kenny, Tweek, Craig and Stan. Those five will go to the planet Uranebus, where you will talk to the natives and try to convince them to join us. They’re a… problematic race but I think when Stan shows their Queen his powers that they’ll agree. Their race is typical Alien form so you probably won’t be able to understand their language, that’s why Kenny joins you as a translator. You will also meet our Mecha pilots Christophe and Gregory; they’ll join you there and from then on escort you.”

Wendy took a deep breath before continuing, looking down on her notes for a second. “Bebe, David, myself and some of the Wargorgs will make our way to a secret base of the government that we’ll try to take over. Like that we will be able to gain more weapons and information for the future, the rest of you will pack their stuff and leave in two days with one of our ships. You will just move around the galaxy and be in standby for the case we need you.” She glanced down at Bebe and nodded lightly, the blonde stood up and projected a picture into the air, big enough for everyone to see.

“Does anyone know this person shown here?” Bebe asked with a serious tone, watching over the people sitting on the tables. On the picture a woman was shown with black long hair and a tight, yellow uniform. She looked normal, just a young woman walking around.

“…I know her,” Kyle spoke up, eyes wide at the picture. “This is Leslie Meyers.”

“What do you know about her, Kyle?” Wendy questioned, all eyes on the bounty hunter now. “Sources told us that she’s dangerous but she looks like a normal human.”

“No, she’s not a human,” the redhead continued after swallowing hard. “Leslie is a Cyborg and a bounty hunter working for the Government. I met her a few times and saw her working, she’s… dangerous. Really dangerous. Under us bounty hunters people tell that she died as a baby and the government tried to save her by turning her into a Cyborg. They raised her as a weapon, making her look like an innocent human body while everything except her heart are machines, mostly guns and blasters and all this stuff. When she’s after us then we have to be as careful as possible.”

Bebe nodded lightly, letting the picture disappear and sat down with a frown and fear in her eyes. Wendy sat down, too, not knowing what to say about this and glanced at Tweek for help. The leader of the tribe stood up and cleared his throat loudly, making sure everyone paid him the necessary attention. “You heard the man, when you see Leslie you’ll give the information to us as fast as possible. Try avoiding her and don’t, under any circumstances, try to fight her alone and without my permission. A Cyborg is a strong enemy and when it’s true what is said about her, then she’s even more dangerous.” Silence spread in the room, fear and uncertainty crawled into the heart of almost everyone in the room. “Now let’s eat so everyone will be strong enough for tomorrow.”

When the blonde sat down and started eating everyone followed his example and ate. It stayed silent for the first few minutes but after a while talking started and most of them calmed down. “Hey, Craig,” Kenny said with a mouth full of food, gaining a disgusted look of his boyfriend and sister, “I heard your chullo is broken, I can fix it while we travel tomorrow morning.”

“Really?” Asked Craig with a cocked eyebrow, he felt naked without his chullo on but he left it in his hut for now. “That’d be great, it’s important for communication and like that I wouldn’t need to look for communication towers all the time.”

“No problem for me, I’m good in repairing electronic stuff and I won’t be bored like that,” mentioned the blonde with a grin before he continued to eat. Stan was silent the whole time, worrying Craig with his odd behavior but he decided to ignore it for now. The blackhead was eating and that was most important for now.

After some more minutes most had eaten up and started to go to their hut, Craig and Stan included. Tricia was with them and when they stopped by the huts, Stan glance dup at Craig with insecurity. “…Go into my hut, I’ll join you once I finished talking with Tricia.” The blackhead brightened up immediately and walked to the wooden door, waving Tricia goodbye before entering. “So, when will you leave with Karen?”

“In two days, we’ll get some more supplies and check where we’ll fly while waiting for commands,” explained the younger sibling, looking at the hut before turning to her brother. “You like him,” she accused with a knowing frown on her face. “Craig, what the fuck?”

“He’s nice and I see him as a friend, that’s it,” explained Craig, _lied_ Craig.

“You don’t,” scoffed the young woman, “I know you, brother dear, and he’s exactly the kind of guy you like and you just told him to go into _your_ hut. Why? Sleeping with him already?”

“Bullshit, he just can’t sleep alone, that’s it. Stan got used to sleep near me during our travels and he doesn’t feel save alone.”

“He has to get used to it, though. Once you gave him over to the leader and he gets to the hideout, you’ll get new commands. You can’t stay with him.”

“I know that,” he wailed in complaint, taking a step back while digging his fingernails in his black hair. “He said he doesn’t want me to leave, I tried to explain him that he’s not the one choosing this but… but I think he won’t feel safe enough without me around.”

“Well, then you have to distance yourself from him,” replied Tricia with knitted eyebrows, “And you will start with sending him to his own hut. You can’t deal to fall more for him, Craig, it will only hurt you and I don’t want you to go through this again. I don’t want a repetition of Thomas, this was bad enough and now you know that Stan won’t stay by your side. End it, tonight. For both you and him.”

Craig looked at the ground, nodding lightly at his sister’s words and knowing that she was right. “Yeah, you’re right.” He didn’t want to go through the same things he had to go through when things ended with Thomas. It hurt too much back then and thinking back to it, it still hurt, it was a dull and almost forgotten pain, one he could handle by now. But repeating all this wouldn’t be able to be forgotten and he didn’t have the energy to deal with something similar.

“Good, we’ll see us soon, okay? Once Stan is safe we’ll get some time together, maybe even missions,” promised Tricia, moving towards her brother to press her knuckles against his. But Craig took a step forward and hugged his sister again, feeling a bit emotional he thought this would fit better. It was war, after all, and no one knew what could happen next to anyone; it was a dangerous time.

Once Craig let go they told each other goodnight, knowing that they won’t see each other again for the near future. Tricia and Karen had to help the Wargorgs tomorrow morning and wouldn’t be able to come to the space ship. Craig sighed and walked up to his hut, opening the door slowly and immediately noticed Stan lying in Craig’s bed. The older walked up to it, checking on Stripe who was eating on the left over vegetables. They had to get some transportation box before leaving the next day, food and water, too.

While walking to the bed Craig started to get rid of his clothes, leaving them on the floor where he put them off. Once he was at the bed, he lifted the cover up, watching Stan lying on his side, head on the big pillow. He glanced up at Craig, his legs were pulled up to his chest and he hugged them close, a weak tremor running through his body. Craig narrowed his eyes at him, watching how Stan licked his lips and swallowed, his adam’s apple bumping.

Stan looked scared, like a small animal that thought it would be killed by a monster when it moved. Craig frowned lightly at him, thinking about Tricia’s words. “…What’s wrong, Stan?” Blue eyes slowly looked up, gaze meeting with the other.

“I hate talking about all this…” Mumbled the blackhead, “about the war, people being dangerous and all that. When you saw your sister today you looked so relieved, you were scared that something happened to her, that she died. And all this because of some stupid war, people have to fear that their loved ones die all the time and now you will be separated from her again… and all because I was a brat who complained…”

Craig watched tears welling in the Stan’s eyes, threatening to flow over and run down his cheek. He slowly lay down on his side of the bed, pulling Stan into his chest to hug him tightly. The younger whimpered silently into the bare skin, clawing around Craig’s chest and into this side, holding onto him like his life depended on it. And maybe, in that moment, it did. “How can you do this? Walking around with the knowledge that your sister or your friends could be dying? The thought of you leaving me to fight somewhere and… and not coming back is pulling me apart. It hurts so damn much…!”

“I know…” Craig whispered, moving one hand to lace his fingers through the black hair, noticing Stan relaxing a bit. “Believe it or not, but it hurts me, too. It’s almost unbearable, but I know it’s necessary so other people don’t have to feel like this. When this war goes on for much longer, then the UOU will start to force parents away from their children, lovers from their special someone and brothers from their sisters. And that’s why I gladly keep fighting, to end all this as soon as possible and safe them from this pain. Do you understand?”

Stan sniffed loudly, nodding his head in a slow motion. “I think so… and I’m sorry for pulling you away from your sister again…” He apologized with a tremor in his voice.

“It’s not your fault,” muttered Craig, moving his hand to pull Stan’s bangs up and revealing his forehead, the birth marks staring him down. He leaned forth and kissed his forehead, his lips lingering on the skin for a moment before he pulled away again. “They probably would have sent me somewhere completely different anyway; Tricia and I aren’t good in fighting side by side.” Stan’s face was slightly flushed when he looked at the man he was lying on. “Let’s sleep so we have enough energy for tomorrow, okay?”

Stan nodded again, getting comfortable on Craig’s chest and exhaling in relaxation. “Good night, Craig.”

Craig lay back on the pillow and moved his hand over the noirette’s back, massaging the skin under his palm delicately. Stan was already asleep, noises of satisfaction leaving his mouth and the hand keeps sliding over him. He looked exhausted and by the thought that Stan had all this in his head the whole time, a pain shot through Craig’s heart. Maybe Stan didn’t understand much about war itself, but he knew what kind of pain it caused for the people in this universe and that he was a key to ending the war.

Tricia’s words were repeating themselves in the back of his head, screaming at him. And he knew that they were right, he had to build a distance to the man he was holding in his arms, for both their sake. Craig told himself that he will do it, starting from tomorrow, but tonight they needed each other to be close, to find comfort in the dark night and the darker future. Tonight was their last night together and Craig enjoyed every second he could feel Stan’s warmth. “Good night, Stan…” He murmured before falling asleep again, knowing that tomorrow everything would need to change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that was the Third chapter of Till The Last Starlight! Yeaaaah! The next chapter wohoo!
> 
> To be honest, I don’t think this story will be too long? Maybe 7 or 8 chapter, but not more I think.  
> And boi, I can’t wait to finally introduce Christophe and Gregory next chapter! And the Tweek x David thing was really REALLY unplanned, it just happened while writing the scene and I kinda like it? And Uranebus is another imaginary planet; I don’t think Google will show ya something when looking it up. And yes, Leslie will be important for some scenes, you’ll hate her :) (At least I hope you do!) 
> 
> Also, there will be at least one Mayor Character Death in this story (I will add it once it happened), it could be counted as side character, but I think once we’re that far it can count as Mayor Character. I just wanted to mention hear to warn y’all, so that you can stop reading when you don’t like stuff like that! And when I say ‘at least’ it means that there will probably be more. There will be some minor character deaths, too, it’s a war after all, so don’t expect too much happiness for future chapters! 
> 
> So, we got the first scene (and probably the last) out of Stan’s view. It was one of the scenes that was planned from the beginning and even though I thought about changing it to Craig’s view so we’d constantly have it out of his point of view, I decided against it. 
> 
> It’s 4 in the morning here in Germany and I am tired. I wanted to update this story four days ago, but a lot of sudden personal stuff happened that just wouldn’t let me write (and one day was stolen by me watching Good Omens and I loved it). But here it is, finally! I hope you enjoyed it and I really hope that the next chapter will be up faster than this one! But I can’t promise anything, sorry :<
> 
> Fun fact: The song that inspired me for the whole fanfiction is [Spirit in the Sky by KEiiNO](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EmUmbhDRiY)  
> [My Tumblr!](https://natari-55.tumblr.com/)  
> [Buy Me A Ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/natari) and send me a prompt/Character/ship (South park and Gravity falls only) and I'll write you a short 500+ words One Shot :3
> 
> Stay tuned!
> 
> Comments are always appreciated and a VERY big motivation for every writer!
> 
> Edited: 16.09.2020 - Noticed that I accidentally wrote that Craig has Blue eyes - changed them to his real color, yellow.


	4. This Is Just The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this point I wanna thank everyone for the lovely and motivating comments! Thank you! 
> 
> Not Beta-Read, so please excuse small errors!

The next morning Craig decided to get his plan in action, no more unnecessary interaction with Stanley. He got out of bed and got ready for the day, dressing in comfortable clothes that resembled his former soldier uniform. His bag was packed while Stan, who woke up when Craig was under the shower, was in his own room, probably getting ready, too. When he returned, the former Marine decided to start with the inevitable and glanced at Stripe whose food was gone by now.

“Stanley,” he spoke up and gained the smaller’s attention, he looked a bit confused when Craig used his full name instead of the nickname. “We can’t take Stripe with us, so I’ll give him to Karen and Tricia. They’ll be able to get food and water for him anytime.”

“Wh-What?” Stan stuttered, his eyes wide in shock as he glanced between the man and the guinea pig, “But he’s our guinea pig! He belongs to us, to our side and not with someone else!”

“We won’t be able to take properly care of him, Stanley. He needs food and water and a proper place to run around and live. We’re going to fly to some planet we don’t know anything about, when we have bad luck we won’t find any food for him for a time or the weather there is some he can’t adjust to,” argued Craig as he walked over to the small animal, but Stan beat him to it.

The ebony haired man picked Stripe up and held him to his chest while getting away from Craig, who sighed in annoyance. “No! Stripe has to stay with us, no one else can take care of him as good as we do!”

“Stanley, act like a grown up person just once and think about this. Stripe doesn’t care who he is with, as long as he has food and water and it would be irresponsible of us to take him along. The others probably don’t want him there and poop over the whole ship. So I’ll bring him to my sister who knows how to take care of him and who can land on other planets to get all is necessary stuff,” explained Craig, his voice as calm as possible.

But when Stan wanted to argue again, he just walked up to him and pulled the guinea pig away from him. Of course he protested, yelling to give him back and that Craig couldn’t do it, but the former Marine didn’t care. He was doing the right thing for Stripe, he knew this, and Stan simply didn’t know enough yet.

“I paid for him, so I choose what to do for him. And I decide that we won’t take him with us, you’re simply too stubborn and childish to see that this is the right thing to do,” groaned Craig out, already on his way to the door.

“Let me at least say goodbye to him!” Yelled the noirette at the other, tears stinging his eyes by the knowledge of having to let go of his new friend.

Craig froze with his hand on the door handle and glanced back at the other, watching how he was breaking apart from the inside. He would have loved to walk over to Stan and just hug him, comfort him by explaining that everything would be okay. That they would get Stripe back once all this was over, once they can live in peace in some cottage on a lonely planet.

But those were lies. Lies he didn’t want to tell neither Stan nor himself, because it would make him dream and hope. And in time of war there was no place for hope, at least not for the once who fought it. And there was no chance for Stan and him to stay together. But he could make it easier for him without giving him any wrong idea.

“…Alright, yeah,” Craig stepped away from the door and walked over to Stan, holding Stripe down so that he could be stroked and patted on the head. Stan smiled through the few tears that started to fall, whispering small words to the guinea pig. An occasional squeak erupted from the pet when he felt the fingers of his owner on his fur. Stripe seemed to notice that it was a goodbye, because it pressed it’s nose against Stan’s hand over and over again, sometimes nibbling at his fingers. “Finished?”

“Y-Yeah… Thanks… and bye Stripe. Once this is over I’ll pick you up,” muttered Stan while he bit his lower lips in a poor attempt to keep his voice up. Craig just nodded and left Stan behind in the hut as he walked to the one of Karen and Tricia.

When he arrived at the small wooden hut, he walked up to the door and knocked with one hand. Stripe was snuggled against his chest, enjoying the warmth that was coming from the man and slowly fell back to sleep. After a few seconds Karen opened the door, looking up at the older with a tilted head. “Tricia isn’t here right now, do you want to come in and wait for her?”

“No, I’m not here for her but for him,” he nodded down at the guinea pig and Karen turned even more confused. “We can’t take Stripe with us, we don’t know what planets we will visit during the journey and I’m sure it could take a while till we find food for him. So, since you and Tricia have to be on standby and can fly to any planets you want, I thought about giving him to you.”

“Oh, sure!” Karen said, a smile grew on her lips as she carefully took the animal in her hands. “I’m sure Tricia knows how to take care of them, she’s your sister after all. But what’s his name?”

“Stripe, Stan chose the name,” explained Craig, watching her cuddling the guinea pig who was awake again, sniffing at the new person. “And yes, Tricia knows how to take care.” He looked down at Karen’s wrist where a watch was around, checking the time. “I have to leave now or the others have to wait for us at the ship. Say hi to Tricia and, please, make sure Stripe is okay.”

“I promise, Craig,” the girl looked up at him and the noirette nodded before leaving with an awkward hand wave. He ran back to the huts, surprised as he saw Stan waiting outside with their bags already, he wore the red puffball hat. When he was close enough he took his own bags and left, Stan followed him without a word at first.

“How long will we be on our way?” He asked after a while, looking up at the back of Craig’s head. When he didn’t get an answer from the noirette he tried again. “Do you think it will take us a few days? Or maybe longer?” Again, no answer. Craig just kept walking, of course he heard every word but he simply didn’t answer him. Stan had to stop clinging to him and the answer to this was ignoring him.

All the way to the ship the younger tried to start a conversation, different topics every time and every time he was ignored. It was hard for Craig, because he could hear how desperate the other was, his voice started to tremble and break at some points. He probably wondered what was going on and what he did right, the night before they were cuddling and now Craig showed him the cold shoulder.

Relief flooded over Craig when they arrived at the Space Ship. It was rather big, at least bigger than the usual ones and reminded the noirette slightly of a bug. “Hey,” he said as he noticed Kenny standing in front of the opening, his face looked bored. Tweek was standing a few feet away from them together with David. Their foreheads were pressed together as they seemed to whisper to each other, eyes closed and nose rubbing against each other occasionally. It was a goodbye and none of them knew for how long or if the partner would come back.

“Yello!” Kenny greeted the newcomers with a bright smile, “Kyle’s already in the cockpit and checking everything through so we can start once Tweek is ready.” He gestured to the pair behind him before extending his hand to Craig. “Give me your hat so I can fix it, probably won’t take long.”

“Thanks,” the former soldier mumbled as he gave his chullo over to the blonde, watching as he examined it. “I’m already getting inside. By the way, I’ll fly with Kyle.”

“What, nooo!” Groaned the Cyborg as Craig walked past him. “I wanted to fly with him!”

“Well, I am the educated pilot, not you, so I should be there with him, don’t you think?”

“Well, yeah, but-“

“Then that’s cleared up,” Craig didn’t wait for the other to answer, he just turned around and looked through the ship as he entered it over the small bridge. It was bigger than it looked, there was a small corridor to his left with different doors, at the end a common room with seats. He turned to his right and saw the open door to the cockpit, some noises came from there. With fast steps he walked through the door and closed it behind, immediately sitting down next to Kyle.

The bounty hunter turned to his friend and looked surprised and a bit disappointed, so he thought that Kenny would join him. “Ehm, what are you doing here?” He asked with an arched brow before he turned back to the different buttons to check.

“I’m the pilot so I’ll fly with you, obviously,” clarified Craig as he started to check everything, too. He glanced outside and saw David walking away from the space ship and heard footsteps on the metal floor of the ship. When the ramp was pulled in and the oors closed, he knew everyone was on. “Let’s get out of here.”

Kyle nodded and started the ship; it slowly lifted from the ground before a big boost catapulted them away from the planet. Craig paid attention to the different screens that told him how far away they were from the ground and how fast they were going. Once they were past the gravity of the planet and in the darkness of outer space, they relaxed a bit. The redhead put in the coordinates Wendy gave him before and followed them.

“So,” he started after some silence, “why aren’t you with Stan right now? I thought Kenny would accompany me now and later you and Stan could switch with us.”

“I need to get some distance between Stanley an-“

“ _Stanley_??” kyle cut in, turning his head to his friend for a second before paying attention to flying again.

“Yes, Stanley, like I said, I want to get some distance between us. He’s way too clingy and influences the missions with this. It was planned that I go to another mission and he should have gone with others to the hide out, but he protested,” grumbled Craig with a deep annoyed frown.

“Because he wanted to stay with you?” Asked the redhead, even though he already knew the answer to his question. When his friend gave a nod Kyle sighed lightly and picked up a bit of speed. “But since when are you so professional about your jobs?”

“I was always professional,” argued the noirette.

“Yeah, sure,” mocked Kyle, “wasn’t it you who had to sleep with one of your fucking enemies during an urgent mission? In the middle of a civil war?”

“This was something completely different, Kyle. We were still safe, yes, it was during some useless civil war that we had to end, but me sleeping with him didn’t endanger the mission at all. We had fun, that was it.”

“Sure, when you are the one saying his it was to be true, right?” After this they were silent and stayed like this for at least half an hour. But when none of them could endure it anymore, Kyle decided to continue talking. “…What is the real reason you want to get distance to him?”

Craig stayed silent for a long time; minutes went by without a sound in the air as they flew past comets and other planets. He looked outside and counted the other rare space ships that flew around. From where he sat every other planet looked so infinitesimal and he wished his problems would be just as small. When he decided to answer he didn’t look at his friend, he looked straight forward into the direction Kyle was leading them.

“I’m scared that I catch stronger feelings for Stanley, that they will turn into the same ones I had for Thomas. What when I start getting attached, when I don’t want to leave him once we reached the hide out? What when it will hurt just as much as it did when Thomas left?” Craig muttered out, taking a deep breath at the end. “Because I know that I start to like him, I already like him a lot, Kyle, too much actually.”

“Craig,” Kyle started once he was sure that his friend finished talking, “You have to stop comparing everyone with Thomas. Yes, it hurt when he left and just... abandoned you instead of getting back in contact, but you have to move on.” The pilot turned on autopilot and turned to Craig, resisting the urge to turn him around to face him. “Thomas was a good guy, no one says anything different, but he wasn’t meant to be with you. It was his own decision to leave Proxima b to live somewhere else because he didn’t want to deal with the coming war. No one thought that he’d break the contact with you simply because you worked for the army back then. His lost, but now there’s Stan and he-“

“I _have_ to leave Stan,” Craig hissed through his teeth, finally turning to the redhead with an angry scowl. “There’s no way I can stay with him and make sure doesn’t worry. Most of the time during the war we won’t be able to be together, there’s a possibility that we can’t see us for months.”

“And?” The bounty hunter threw his arms in the air while shaking his head. “That’s the problem? Kenny and I are separated most of the times, too, and I’m worried as well as you’d be. God, every time we have to part our ways I want to stop him, tell him that we don’t have to fight this stupid war. That we could run away and just be happy far far away from all this bullshit, but we don’t and do you know why?”

Craig stared at his friends, taken aback when he saw tears in his green eyes, threatening to burst out and wet his skin. It was uncommon for him to cry, not without a good reason and this was enough proof that Kyle really loved Kenny. He didn’t just have a crush on him or felt a bit attracted, no, Kyle loved him like no one else.

“We do it because it’s the right thing to do, because we can change everything and win this. And for the hope of living a normal life afterwards, to just get a cottage somewhere and be happy with each other. We fight for our dream and we’re ready to give our lives for it, for one another.” When he finished, Kyle turned the autopilot of and continued to navigate the ship, going faster than before.

Craig could only watch him and be proud of his friend, proud and happy for him. 

Two days went by in a blast and Kyle and Craig rarely left the cockpit since they were the only pilots. When Kyle was tired Craig took over so he could rest and once Craig was completely drained out, the redhead took control again. They only went to the others to eat and have a bit of conversation, Kyle left more often though, because Kenny demanded to see his boyfriend.

Stanley tried to talk to Craig, but was ignored every time. It threw the ebony haired boy into a pit, making him fidgety and uncomfortable, because he didn’t know how to talk to the others. Tweek and Kenny were planning their moves most of the time and when they didn’t work on that, Tweek meditated. Kenny on the other hand had a few conversations with Stan, mostly talking about Kyle. It was interesting for him, because he was able to witness how someone who was in love talked and looked.

And it hurt, because Kenny mentioned that Stan looked just like he did when he talked about Craig.

Oh it hurt.

On the third day the blonde walked into the cockpit, Craig was flying and Kyle was playing with the little communication station. “Hey Darling,” the blonde greeted his boyfriend with a kiss on the head, making him smile. “And hello pilot,” he placed the now repaired chullo on its owners head, grinning widely when Craig touched it immediately.

It switched on to live and Craig exhaled heavily in relief, glad to have his hat back to work. “Thanks, I felt so vulnerable without it,” mentioned the black haired man, pushing on some buttons and the route was right in front of his eye to see. He switched the route off on the ship and just followed the one shown from his hat.

“No problem, was fun to work on it,” Kenny leaned against Kyle’s seat and played with the red curls of him. “So, when do you thi-“

 _“Can someone hear me?”_ A voice suddenly came from the radio and Kyle bend a bit forward, pulling away from Kenny.

“Hey! Here’s Kyle, who’s talking?” He said, staring at the radio as if he could see the person on the other end.

_“Gregory, I’m currently inside Icarus and circling around Uranebus with Christophe in his own Mecha. How long till you can land?”_

“Just a few minutes, we can already see the planet,” told Kyle and Craig nodded to himself; in the distance he could make out a planet that looked completely green. But not a healthy shiny green, no, a dark and dirty one.

 _“Alright, we will wait for you and prepare for either attack or landing. Contact us when you need help,”_ the man, Gregory, said, his voice sounded a bit arrogant, like he thought that they wouldn’t be able to talk with the locals in peace.

“Will do, hear from you,” and with that Kyle switched the radio off, leaning back against his seat with a sigh.

“I really don’t like Gregory,” muttered Kenny, “He’s so arrogant.”

“But he’s important and good in flying and controlling Icarus. Christophe and he are the only ones of us who can use them, so we should be happy that they’re on our side instead of being annoyed that he’s so sure of himself,” Kyle defended the two, glancing up at the blonde who huffed loudly.

“What’s so bad about them?” Asked Craig, starting to prepare the ship for the landing, the redhead talked through the microphone and told the others that they’ll arrive soon.

“First of all,” Kenny started, ignoring the warning that he should sit down and put on a seatbelt, “Christophe tried to flirt with Kyle when he joined the rebellion, so he’s my enemy.”

Kyle groaned loudly at his boyfriend’s words, rolling his eyes and making sure Kenny knew it. “Christophe didn’t know that I was with you and he’s with Gregory now, you know it. He never was serious about us anyway, eh just wanted to make his not-yet boyfriend jealous.”

“Wait, the two mecha pilots are a thing?” Craig cut it, peeking at the other two with an arched brow.

“Yep,” Kenny popped the ‘p’.

“Is anyone here straight?”

“Craig, you’re so left behind,” sighed the blonde while shaking his head in disbelieve, “Love is love, my dear, and it just so happens that all our soul mates have the same gender as the other.” To emphasize it, he leaned down and gave Kyle a peck on his lips, grinning happily.

“Anyway,” Kyle continued with slightly red cheeks, “we’re almost there, get ready.” And with those words Kenny walked to the back to get his stuff ready. “Nervous?”

“A bit, but the thought that there are Mechas on our side is calming,” admitted Craig as they pulled the ship into another position and got the stilts out to land. When they got on the ground they could feel it slightly giving in before turning hard enough to get the full weight on it. Craig turned the ship off and got up with Kyle, walking to the back and get their stuff.

Craig pulled on his backpack and placed his gun in his holster, Kyle did the same. Tweek held a spear in one of his hands and Kenny’s weapons where his arms, Stan was standing there, watching everyone getting ready. Once Tweek saw that they were finished with preparing he lead them to the door and opened it. He walked down the ramp and the others followed him as they looked around.

They were surrounded by a moor, mud was everywhere and they feet were buried in it as they walked. Tall, old trees covered most of the space, making it even darker than the greenish fog already did. It was silent, most of the time at least; sometimes frog-like sounds erupted around them, making them nervous. But after walking for a bit they came to solid ground, glad that they got their feet out of the mud.

Stan stayed close to Craig, too deep in thoughts to remember that the noirette seemed to be angry with him. He felt safe when he was around him and in this moment he needed this safety.

When they heard something Tweek lifted one hand, signing them to stop walking and check out their surroundings. A heavy silence fell over the group, making all of them nervous and uneasy. Then, out of a sudden, a big shadow emerged from a bush and it attacked them, concentrating on Tweek. The Wargorg used his spear to fend him off; even able to push him a few feet away where sun reached the ground.

All their eyes widened at what they saw. Craig wouldn’t even know how to describe it correctly, whatever it was. Its human-like body stood out to them, standing on two thin legs, claws at the tip of its feet. The arms were long and the whole body was covered with a black leathery like skin, with red goo extracting from it. But the most attention seeking feature was the giant black head on top of the body, when it opened its mouth four rows of shark teeth could be seen.

But the terrifying ting was what lured behind those teeth. There was a face, one that resembled the one of a human, staring at them with glowing green eyes.

The alien hissed at them before screaming loudly, more of the red goo sliding off its skin, but the goo suddenly moved towards them. It had legs and eyes and was about to reach the group before Kenny shot at them. “What is this?!” The blonde asked as he kept shooting, Craig and Kyle joining soon.

“Those are their secret weapons, small creatures that live under their skin,” explained Tweek, pulling his long spear apart into two smaller ones. “Be careful, they can poison you!” He glared at the alien in front of them and held tighter onto his weapons, their tips started to shine in a yellow light, just as Tweek’s eyes and tattoos did. With a loud roat, the leader ran towards their attacker, gracefully avoiding the little creatures on the ground. He jumped into the air and right onto the hissing alien, ramming his spears into the ground and creating a crackling sound before the spears send lighting to the enemy.

It screamed in pain, making loud clicking noises as the attack slowly ended. Tweek grabbed it by its throat and made the alien look at him before he started talking. “Mein Name ist Tweek Tweak und ich bin der Anführer der Wargorgs! Ich und die Leute die mir folgen sind her gekommen, um mit eurer Königin zu redden und verbündete zu warden!”

The alien tilted its head and the red little creatures stopped to attack, Craig looked up and watched Tweek whisper to the other. Everyone was silent and tense, ready to attack or defend. When Tweek got off the other being, he turned to the group and nodded. “He, his name is Clyde, will lead us to their queen now,” the blonde explained, but the tenseness didn’t leave, they’d go into the shark tank now, not knowing what was awaiting them.

As they walked through the moor, everyone close to each other and weapons still in their hands, they noticed that they walked deeper into the forest like parts. Everyone was silent, not daring to make a sound and anger Clyde in any way. And after walking for a few more minutes they arrived in front of a structure that resembled a honeycomb. Aliens were walking in and out from it, always glaring at the intruder.

Clyde turned to them and said something to Tweek, he nodded and turned to his companions. “We have to wait here to get an audience by the queen, her name’s Red,” he explained a bit hushed, glancing around the area.

Craig sighed silently through his nose and looked at the structure in front of them. It was overgrown by moss and perfectly adapted to its surroundings. You could easily walk past it and oversee it, wouldn’t it be for the aliens roaming around it all the time. The black haired man looked at his teammates, Kenny and Kyle were standing close and Kenny had one of his hands on his boyfriend’s back. Tweek was looking at the nest of the aliens, too, probably checking for emergency escapes in case something went wrong.

And Stan? He stayed close to Craig, looking around with worried eyes and screamed discomfort. Every time an Alien came out he flinched lightly, watching how it left and wincing when it sneered at him. When he turned to Craig, the former soldier averted his gaze, fast looking into the complete other direction and taking a small step away from him.

Then, someone came walking back out, someone who looked like a human being, wouldn’t it be for the slightly glowing eyes and the pupil that was formed like a slit. “You are allowed to visit our queen, she’s waiting for you in her throne room. Please follow me,” the man said, his brown hair lying flat against his skull. “I am Clyde, by the way, inside the nest we take this form since it’s more comfortable. Only a few of our alien aspects stay, like the eyes or,” Clyde turned around to present his long, black tail, “our tail.”

And without wasting another second he began walking, leading the group inside the building. All of them kept their weapons; the aliens seem not to care for them at all. Probably because they didn’t want to face them or because they weren’t any actual danger for their race. The last one was worrisome.

Clyde stopped in front of a big door and cleared his throat before knocking against it three times, every knock louder than the other. Only two seconds after the last knock echoed through the room, he opened the door and stepped aside to let the guests inside. And it was a throne room, indeed. The whole room was empty, except from some statues as decoration, a big throne stood at the end on a podium.

On the throne, that was made out of bones and decorated by moss and other plants, a woman sat. Her back leaned against one of the armrests and her legs rested over the other side, her body language showed that she didn’t fear the intruders of her planet. Red long hair almost reached the floor as she looked at the group; almost completely black eyes were hidden behind glasses and mustering them. She slowly sat up, getting into a more comfortable and intimidating position as she crossed her long, pale legs.

Her body was hidden behind a long, dark blue dress, a slit making sure that her legs could show out. Around her body three eel like creatures wreathed around, leaving behind slimy tracks and adding a poisonous green to her look. She smiled down at the others before leaning to the side, a blond man standing by her side, looking down at the five. His eyes were blue and they shone just like the ones of the other Aliens. As his queen whispered something to him, he bent down and kept his eyes on the group, or on Stan, to be more specific.

Once they finished whispering to each other, the queen’s little antennas on her head twitched and she turned her full attention to the newcomers. “Welcome, humans, in my castle and emperor,” she started, her voice sound dominant and echoed through the empty room. “My name is Red; I am the Queen of this planet and will be the judge to your future. And the man next to me is my right hand, Gary.” Gary bowed lightly before Red continued. “What brings you here?”

Tweek immediately took a step forward and bowed lightly, the others mirrored his last action. “Queen Red,” he started, “My name is Tweek Tweak and I am the leader of the Wargorgs on the planet Thathorot, and those people behind me are companions of mine. We’re here to seek your help, mighty queen, we are part of the rebellion that fights against The Unity Of The Universe and we want to ask for your help. Join us in our cause and help to defeat the government that wants to get the whole universe under their control!” The blonde’s voice was strong, not one crack or other sign of weakness showed, and Craig understood why Tweek was the one leading them.

Red narrowed her eyes at him, staring for a few seconds before deciding to talk. “I already heard of your cause, rebel, some of my kind are already part of your people. Ike, one of my youngest, left the nest to work under your wing, even though I forbid it.” She leaned back in her throne, eyes angry as she remembered how the little gremlin dared to talk back to her. He left the same day and made clear he would only return when peace was brought. “The UOU, they attacked us already and killed many of my kind; they weakened us with their technology,” she added, “what makes you think that a small group of problem makers has a chance against them?”

“We took one of their greatest weapons away from them and got him on our side,” Kenny spoke up; making a small step, Kyle’s hand flew to his wrist, stopping him to get even closer. The blonde pointed at Stan who looked surprised, eyes wide and he pulled the hood of his cloak up to hide. “This is Stan, he was supposed to win the war for them, but we freed him and now he is with us. Isn’t that enough proof that they’re dangerous and need to be stopped?”

Red and Gary frowned, taking a glance at the other before Gary spoke up. “This man? He’s the smallest of all of you and looks scared, I can smell his fear. I can’t believe that he is a useful weapon or dangerous in any way.” Gary’s eyes were fixed on the ebony haired man, he never averted his eyes. They were on him the moment he entered the room. “What can he do that makes him so important?”

Stan peeked with worry at Craig, who nodded before taking off his chullo. He threw it into the air and Stan closed his eyes for a fraction of a second, making the chullo freeze in time. It hung in the air, not moving an inch and the two aliens stared at it in wonder, clearly impressed. This time the queen didn’t need to get advice from the man. “This is quiet special, young man, and I am impressed. But my two hundred and fifty years of life showed me that I shouldn’t act too fast. I will talk to my council about this, till then you are welcome to stay and rest in our nest. Gary will show you to your rooms.”

“Oh, queen Red?” Kyle fast added, gaining her attention for the first time since he entered the room. “Outside of your planets gravity two of our Mechas are waiting for us, would you allow them to land and rest, too?”

Red nodded lightly, “they can land near your ship and will get a room, too. Gary,” she turned to the blonde, “please follow them to their ship and take those pilots along, too.” He nodded and mumbled a ‘Ja, meine Königin’, before he walked down the few steps and lead the group out of the door.

Together they walked back so the space ship, Kenny was sending a message up to the two Mechas and soon they heard a loud roaring from above. They arrived at the spot and stayed a few feet away, watching as the two giant mecha landed right next to the ship, sliding down in the moor till their torsos.

One of them was white and golden with two weapons on their back that reminded of wings. On each side of the metallic body hung big swords that could be used as weapons. The other one was green and brown; it didn’t have any wings or visual weapons, but seem to have different tools on the back. Probably for shooting or digging on land.

Two doors opened at the side of the Mechas, they had luck that they didn’t sink any deeper in the mutt. The pilots walked out and over the ramp towards the group. Both wore tight Mechas suits in the colors of their machines, the blonde one in white and gold, the brown haired one in Green and brown. “Here we are, ready to get out of those blood cutting suits,” the blonde announced when they were only a few feet away from them, stopping when he arrived. “My name is Gregory and I’m the pilot of this beautiful Mecha called Icarus, nice meeting you all.” Then he turned to the man next to him. “And this is Christophe, the Pilot of Helios.”

Christophe nodded to them, his look was grumpy and he pulled out a cigarette and put it between his lips after lightning it. “Hey,” he grumbled before inhaling the smoke and then exhaling it through his nose. His brown eyes searched the group and landed on Gary. “Who’s this?” Only now Craig noticed the heavy accent Christophe had, remembering of a former country called France that he learned in school about.

“That’s Gary,” Kyle spoke up after everyone else stayed silent, “The right hand man of this planet’s queen, Red. He’ll lead us to our rooms so we can rest.”

Christophe nodded lightly and his deep brown eyes stayed at Kyle for a bit, the redhead blushed lightly. Gregory noticed it and immediately took Christophe’s hand, remembering that he has a boyfriend who was right next to him. “Okay, good, let’s go then so I can take a shower. We have been in our mechas for three days now.”

Gary just nodded and let the others get their stuff from the space ship before they lead them back to the nest. Craig glanced at Stan who was watching Gregory and Christophe in front of them, holding their hands. He shook his head lightly and sighed relieved when they arrived at the honeycomb like structure, following the group inside. While walking through the halls he noticed other aliens, most ignored them but some sent him weird looks. One group of four, dressed in complete black, stared at them and mumbled ‘Konformisten’ when they walked past them.

“Alright, here we are,” Gary declared aloud as he pointed at different rooms right next to each other. “I guess the two Mechas, as well as the redhead and the blonde, can share rooms. Stan and the other two get their own ones. You can choose your own rooms and are invited to dine with us, but it’s late already and our dinner was already, so I would recommend sleeping.” He turned to them and looked over the group, earning a few nods in understanding. “If you need anything, just ask any of our kind to bring you to me and I’ll help. Any questions? When not, then I’d leave now.” Silence fell over the hall. “Alright then, good night.” And with those last words Gary left them behind, walking down the hall and then around a corner.

“Alright,” Kenny said as he grabbed Kyle by his waist, “We two gotta catch up to some cuddling tonight. Good night everyone!” He led a chuckling Kyle towards a door and vanished inside, Gregory and Christophe did the same as well as Tweek. Only Craig and Stan were left in the hall.

Craig glanced at the other and walked towards a door, hearing footsteps behind him. As he turned around he saw Stan right behind him, his gaze on the floor. “What?”

“Can we share a room?” Stan asked with a small voice, a bit of hope coming through as he glanced up at the taller one.

“No,” grumbled Craig out, already turning back to the door but paused when he felt a hand gripping his clothes. He peeked over his shoulder and his eyes met with Stan’s big blue ones, watering lightly as they stared at each other. “Stanley, I said no.”

“But why not? Craig, what is going on? D-Did I do something that you’re so cold towards me?” The man’s voice broke a few times, fear joining the sadness in his eyes. His grip tightened, wrinkling the fabric around his fist. “Please tell me…”

Craig stared down at him, wanting to comfort him and explain what was going on. But before he could do this, his body pulled away from the other, one arm extended to push Stan away. “Go to your own room, Stanley, you need to grow up and take this serious.”

“But I can’t sleep without you next to me!” He yelled in frustration, tears breaking out on the corner of his eyes.

“I don’t care,” Craig snapped at him and turned stepped into his room, “get used to it.” And with those words he slammed the door close, locking it immediately. He walked over to the bed that stood at the end of the room, sitting down with a heavy heart in his chest. When the door handle moved down, he looked up and watched it being rattled, Stan whimpering on the other side. Five minutes, he watched the door for five minutes till Stan gave up and walked away.

The former soldier scoffed loudly at himself, shaking his head in disbelieve that he really did this just now. He knew that Stan had trouble sleeping without him, he had to after everything he witness in his short time in this universe. Craig stood up and started to undress, throwing his clothes in the corner before falling back into bed, staring up at the ceiling. Every time he closed his eyes he saw the ebony haired boy right in front of him, his blue eyes staring up in question, in fear, in tears.

But Craig knew this was the right thing to do, it had to be, because he would leave Stanley behind sooner than later. Kyle maybe had a future with Kenny, he would return to the blonde and be with him, but no one knew what would happen to Stan. Maybe he had to be sent away under a new name, a new identity no one was allowed to know. There was no happy future for them, even when there were brief moments his mind imagined them. They were gone as fast as he thought of them.

Craig resisted the urge to jump out of this uncomfortable bed and run over to Stan, knock on his door and embrace him the second he opened it. He would kiss him, hold him, make sure that he knew what love was and that Craig would give him everything he wanted, everything he could. He imagined the noises Stan would make while kissing back, the giggles that would spill out of his throat as he was kissed everywhere. It could be so good, so special, so beautiful, but all those pictured burnt to ashes as the former soldier thought about the battlefield.

Stan would probably try to follow him there, stay with him and be killed, die in the arms of his loved one.

No, that could not happen, not under any circumstances. Stan had to be safe, be protected somewhere far away from this gruesome picture of a war. And Craig only needed to stand through this torture a bit longer, hold onto his stubborn safe for a few more days. Then Stan would be okay and he could return to what he did best. Kill.

The days passed slowly for Craig as he avoided Stan as good as possible. He made him sit with Tweek, Red and Gary at the ‘special’ able reserved for mighty beings alone, while he sat with the others. When he didn’t lock himself up in his room to ensure not meeting the ebony haired boy, he hung out around Kyle. The redhead was working on finding Leslie and making sure she stayed away, but till now everything was without a result. Meanwhile Kenny got annoyed because he didn’t have much time with his boyfriend alone, since Craig was around most days.

One week later, Craig was outside at the Space ship to make sure everything still worked; they didn’t know how the high humidity effected the metal. He just got out from under the ship, writing down that a bit of rust started to build up, as Gregory and Christophe exited their mechas. They made some test, too.

“Ah, Craigory,” Gregory greeted him, checking out ship that looked tiny next to the giant robots. “Everything okay with the ship?”

“Yeah, just a bit of rust at the bottom, but that shouldn’t be a problem. The next time we can fly to a city I’ll take care of it,” mumbled the black haired man, putting away the little block and pencil. “How are the Mechas?”

“They’re fine,” Christophe answered, lighting another cigarette and sighing in relexation as he breathed in the smoke. “They’re made out of the most expensive and rare metal, only other Mechas or giant combat ships can really harm them. And even though Helios was completely damaged once, he’s in the best condition now.”

“He was?” asked Craig with an arched brow, checking out the green and brown robot. “This thing was damaged?”

The brunette pilot chuckled amused at the other’s look and nodded in confirmation. “Yep, he was trash, abandoned by the government after deciding he wouldn’t be useful anymore. Just left him behind to float around in space, big mistake,” Christophe tipped down some ash of the cigarette before he continued. “We found him, Gregory and me, shortly after joining the rebellion a few years ago, I think we were… twenty?” He looked at Gregory with an eyebrow raised in question.

The blonde nodded, “You were twenty one, actually, and it was six years ago so I was twenty.” He leaned against his boyfriend with a smile. “We always fought back then, because you just smoked in my mecha without me allowing it, remember? I think we were even fighting just about this topic when we saw that trash floating around.”

“Don’t call me trash,” grumbled Christophe with an annoyed scowl, regardless, he wrapped an arm around Gregory’s waist and squeezed lightly. “So, we found him and brought him to the next base and with the help of the others, we repaired him. By now he destroyed a lot of other mechas or ships from the government, so their loss for abandoning him just like that.”

“Interesting,” Craig said before looking confused again. “So you learned in school how to fly a Mecha? Did you work for the government, too?”

At those words Gregory started laughing loudly in amusement, snorting sometimes just be the thought of it. Christophe groaned loudly next to him, squeezing tighter to get him to stop laughing. “Oh no, no, no,” the blonde started to explain. “Christophe never went to school, he was born on the country side and only knew about mechas after meeting me, who did went to a special school. No, he was chosen for Helios because he was the one who repaired him and because I was willing to teach him.” He turned his blue eyes to his boyfriend, a sudden wave of affection coming over him and it turned his eyes soft. “I always knew that he was special, that he had enough talent to control something big and powerful like Helios. He was meant to fly him.”

Christophe looked at Gregory and his lips stretched into a weak smile, almost invisible for someone who didn’t look close enough. He leaned a bit forward and kissed his boyfriend on the lips, lingering there for just a few seconds before pulling away again. Gregory reluctantly pulled a bit more away, grinning happily at the outcome of their conversation.

Craig was envious; those two were so happy with each other and didn’t worry about the war. They were always together and protected by giant suits that made sure nothing could touch and endanger them. Those two would always be together and happy, they had to.

“I think I will go back now, I need to talk to Kyle about Leslie and if he found something out,” mentioned Craig, already starting to walk away when Gregory almost growled.

“Leslie,” he scoffed, “that bitch is dangerous, and we need to make sure not to cross paths. All of us are wanted dead or alive and she always kills when she can choose. The only one save from her attacks are Stan and Kyle, Stan because the government clearly wants him alive and Kyle because they don’t know that he’s a rebel.”

Craig frowned lightly and nodded before walking away again, thinking about those words for a bit. Leslie Meyers seemed to be one of their biggest problems on their way to bring Stan to safety; he hoped that Kyle would find her soon.

As he entered the nest, he immediately walked to the common room where he found Kyle and Kenny at one of the tables. He walked over to them and noticed Kenny’s annoyed look, but ignored it, he knew Kyle longer than him anyway. “Hey, found anything new?” Craig asked as he sat down next to the redhead, not caring for the blonde’s annoyed huff as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“Yeah… She’s closer than I hoped…” Kyle mumbled while he stared at some of the holographic screens projected from a small device on the table. A holographic keyboard was in front of him and he moved his arms up to tip on the screens, opening pictures on everyone. Leslie was there and pictures how she visited Thathorot, talking to some of the Wargorgs. “This was two days ago and I found pictures by hacking some security cams in the cities. She’s looking for us, especially you and Stan, showing around pictures and all. So her mission is to get him back for the UOU.”

“Shit…” whispered Craig while watching the pictures and some soundless videos of her walking around. “Do you think she will find us here soon?”

To the ex-soldiers surprise Kyle shook his head fast while opening new pictures. “No, she’s not the problem but this,” on the screen pictures of a giant combat ship opened. “They’re close, too close and could attack any day. This ship is ‘Principality DU-23’ and one of their best combat ships, the fleet leader is Herbert J. Garrison.” Craig groaned loudly at this name. “What, you know him?”

“Yeah,” he admitted, gaining Kenny’s attention, too. “He’s a pain in the ass, a racist, homophobic and sexist pain in the ass, to be exact. But he’s good in commanding his fleet… One of his members is Token Black, I’m surprised that Garrison accepted him because Token is black _and_ an Alien. But intelligent as fuck and loyal, too. It will be hard winning against them when they attack.”

“We have to tell queen Red,” Kenny hurried, a worried frown on his face, “Right now, when they’re really that close, then they’re dangerous and we need to get away. She has to decide if she helps us or not, but we can’t stay much longer.”

“Right…” Kyle agreed, “Kenny, would you help be to hack into some more systems while Craig goes to red and informs her?”

“No problem Darling, we’ll do that,” he nodded and Craig got up, already leaving when the Cyborg shouted after him. “She should be in the newborn station!” It was only to Craig’s luck that he knew where it was, he knew the nest like his pockets after wandering around to keep void of Stan’s presence.

While running through the halls he gained some weird looks from the Aliens, but they just shrugged it off for him needing the toilet. He only ever ran faster in his life when he fled with Stan a few times and he almost flew over the ground. As he slid around a corner, almost near the newborn station, he heard a sound that froze him. Stan? The soldier turned his head and saw a slight open door and frowned, that was Gary’s bedroom.

Surly he could spare five seconds and just check what was going on, maybe Stan was hurt and needed help. He sneaked up to the door and frowned as he heard weird noises, all of them sounding like the noirette. When he got to the door he made out moans and keening sounds, bedcovers where moved around and then Stan a small ‘Ow’ sound. That was enough to trigger Craig to slam open the door, his gun drawn and pointed at the blonde in the room.

His eyes widened when he saw what was going on, Gary was on top of Stan on the bed, and both were half naked and holding onto each other. At Stan’s throat was a big, red bite mark, almost impossible to be hidden behind clothes. “What the…” Craig muttered to himself and finally the other two registered what was going on. “What the?!” he repeated louder and Gary finally moved off from Stan and immediately started to dress.

Stan, on the other hand, slowly sat up and watched Gary, then looked over to Craig with his mouth slightly agape. He swallowed hard and moved his hand up to touch the obvious mark on his throat, all while staring at Craig. The former soldier had enough and moved more into the room, putting away the gun and picking up Stan’s clothes. “Are you fucking serious?!” He asked not really anyone as he grabbed Stan’s wrist and pulled him up.

“He asked me to do it,” Gary fast declared before the door of his room was slammed close.

“What do you think you were doing, Stanley?!” Craig screamed while he pulled the smaller along and after a few steps, Stan pulled away from his hold. The noirette turned to him and threw his clothes at him, the other barely catching them. “Dress up, god damnit. Do you know what you were about to do?!”

“Have sex,” Stan answered without any real emotion, putting his shirt back on and closing the belt of his trouser before he pulled the short cloak over his head. “Gary explained me how it worked and I wanted to learn more, so he said he could show me instead.”

“What?!” Shouted Craig, an angry and unbelieving scowl forming on his face, before stroking through his black hair under his chullo. “You don’t do something like this with a stranger!”

“Why not? It’s just sleeping with each other, fulfilling a primal need, right?” Countered the other with a frown. “And Gary isn’t exactly a stranger, I hung around him the last few days and we got quiet close!”

“But you still don’t do this with just some random guy because you want to learn about it, read books, man! You sleep with someone who is special to you!”

“So, someone like you?” Stan said, his blue eyes at the man in front of him, his hands gripping at his own shirt.

“What…?” Craig was taken aback, not really expected this answer from the other. He swallowed the lump in his throat before answering. “No, you do this with someone you love.”

Stan looked at him before avoiding his gaze and Craig sighed in relieve, the noirette probably understood what he meant. He turned around to take him back to the others, when whispered something inaudible. Craig glanced over his shoulder with a cocked brow, asking him to repeat it.

“…I do love you…” the black haired boy’s eyes were still averted to the ground when Craig turned to him, all breath knocked out of his lungs. What could he say? Was he supposed to say anything? Or just stand there, watching how Stan fought with himself about taking it back or not. But then he looked up, his eyes screamed a confidence Craig had never seen him with before. “I love you, Craigory Tucker, I-I feel everything you explained once. And I did so for a long time but was too pathetic to tell you, but when you ignored me those last few days… I-I felt abandoned and alone and… and I don’t want to feel like this, I want to be with you, don’t you want this, too?”

Craig kept staring at him, his heart beating fast in his chest and threatened to jump out. His thoughts were screaming at him to walk over to the man in front of him and hug and kiss him. To tell him that he loved him, too, and that they could stay together, that one day they will have a cottage with as many space cows as Stan wanted. And he really wanted to, it was all he desired in such a long time, that he wanted to listen to his head.

Instead his started to frown again, his hands clenched together and pressed against his side. “But I don’t love you,” he lied. “I don’t care about your feelings Stanley.”

He lied.

“I just want to get rid of you and get out of here.”

He lied.

“And leave you behind in this hide out and finally end this war.”

Lies.

“You’re lying,” Stan said boldly, his face void of emotions, but the tears that were gathering in his eyes betrayed him. “I think you feel the same and are scared, but I know you good enough by now. I can see through your lies, through your attempt so send me away so you won’t be hurt.”

“Bullshit,” Craig spat out with venom in the word, spit flying through the air and bared his teeth in faked disgust. “All this has to end, Stan, and you have to learn that we’ll be separated. I won’t stay with at the safe place; I’ll leave you behind and fight in a war that most of us won’t survive. _You_ are the one who is scared of being alone, of knowing that you’re living a good live while others die!”

At the end of Craig’s little speech, tears were flowing out of Stan’s beautiful eyes, leaving behind wet tracks on his pale skin. The noirette bit his lip and tried to hide his sobs, not wanting to look vulnerable, not wanting to believe the pathetic truth. And then he gasped loudly, his hand flew to his mouth and covered it as his eyes widened.

Craig didn’t know why, until he felt his own cheeks getting wet, until he lifted his hand and noticed the wetness in his eyes. He was crying, too, because he was devastated, because he was lying at the person he loved. And it felt so bad, so heartbreaking that he wanted to fall on his knees as his legs turned weak. But he had to stay strong, he had to try and make Stan understand that they had to accept it, that loving each other will only lead to utter destruction of both their hearts.

When Stan’s sobbed slowly turned silent, Craig checked out his face, seeing a soft smile on them, an understanding smile. One that said that he knew all this already, but that he didn’t care, that they could get through this together. And as he opened his mouth to speak those words, a loud explosion could be heard through the whole nest, followed by another one.

Craig looked around in panic and ran over to Stan, pulling him close to protect him. Suddenly a bright shine was seen and he only had enough time to push Stan down on the ground, leaning over him as a part of the roof exploded and fell down on them. When he looked up through the giant hole in the structure, his eyes widened.

Principality DU-23 was flying in the sky, big enough to be seen from their spot on the planet. They were attacking; Craig forgot about his task and failed to warn the queen.

They were all doomed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that was the Fourth chapter of Till The Last Starlight! (it’s again 6 in the morning as I post a chapter)
> 
> Yes, Gregory’s Mecha is named Icarus ;)
> 
> And yes, the language the aliens are talking in is German, my mother tongue. I chose it because it’s the only other language beside English I can talk and I don’t have the time to look for another fictional language (I need one later for this fanfiction, so I won’t waste my time to find a second one). So I went with German, the advantage for you is, that you can send the sentence through google translater and know what they said. 
> 
> (If I offended any German person by using this language as the one for Aliens, but well, I am German, too and I think its okay.)
> 
> It’s very ironic for Craig to talk about sex like this, after he had a few one night stands. And no, this is not how I think about this topic, I’m pretty open minded and don’t really connect sex and love, you can experience both together or one without the other. As long as you use protection everything is okay dokay! 
> 
> A little warning from my side, from now on the story will get more angsty and darker. Of course there will be still fluff and happy stuff, buuuut they will be more war moments. 
> 
> I have some personal problem atm (money and job problems, to be specific) and that means I don’t know when the next chapter will be up. But I think I’ll always work on it when the next chapter of my ABO is out. But I’ll work one day on a fanfiction, the next day on my original book, then fanfiction again, then book, etc. You know? 
> 
> So updates can either be faster out or even slower. If you wanna keep up to date, then think about following me on tumblr! 
> 
> [My Tumblr!](https://natari-55.tumblr.com/)  
> [Buy Me A Ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/natari) and send me a prompt with a ship and I'll write you a 500+ word one shot! 
> 
> Stay tuned!
> 
> Comments are always appreciated and a big motivation for every writer!


	5. Tell Me Where The Good Men Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Death(Including babies!!!), Violence, Execution, Blood
> 
> Right at the beginning they’re fighting against soldiers who reached the baby station! Please be aware that they’re in a brutal war and that those scenes or similar ones probably will be more recent from now on!! This fanfiction isn’t bright and happy, not anymore. So please think about it and decide if you will be able to handle scenes like that and when not, stop reading. It will only get worse! 
> 
> Not Beta-Read, so please excuse small errors!

Craig was staring up into the sky, watching as little ships were send out from the big battle ship that floated over the planet. Then he heard shouting coming from around the corner and as his head moved to the direction, the first soldiers were already running towards them. “Shit!” He mumbled loud enough for Stan to hear, pulling him behind him for protection. When the enemies were getting too close to them, the noirette grabbed his laser gun and started shooting.

But they were getting louder and even though Craig tried to keep up with them while also protecting the other male, he soon found them cornered. Just as one was about to shoot him in the head, the doors of Gary’s bedroom bursted open and the man rushed out. But he didn’t look like a human anymore, no, he looked like a monster. His lower Body was like a snake with arms at the sides, claws as fingers. The upper body resembled Clyde’s when he was in his alien form and the head, too. Gary’s usual pale skin was grey, red ooze slipping out and over the floor towards the enemies.

With his human head hidden behind three rows of teeth, he attacked everyone close to him, killing them in mere seconds. Craig had to admit that he was impressed by the Queen’s right hand man; he didn’t just look dangerous, he was dangerous. Gary turned around to them and started to talk in the language of his people, but noticed soon, that the two couldn’t understand him.

“Sorry, was talking on instinct there,” he joked a bit before getting serious again. “Follow me, we have to get to the baby station! The queen should be there and the mothers and their newborns need protection! Hurry!” And with those words, Craig took Stan’s hand and pulled him along as he followed Gary through the halls.

It took them just a minute, but when they arrived they wished that they had been faster. There were soldiers shooting at the aliens, killing mothers who were trying to protect their children by holding them in their arms. Blood was all over the floor, over the walls and on the little nests that used to be filled with little bodies. Some of those bodies were still lying there, motionless and with pale skin, too pale. Others were spread over the floor with their mothers next to them, a few were still breathing, barely.

Craig’s eyes were wide at the horror and he felt Stan move away to throw up at the door, meanwhile Gary let all his anger out on the attackers. Only then did he notice Queen Red in the middle of the room, roaring in anger as she killed one soldier after another. Her slimy green pets were much bigger now, moving freely through the room in their own mission of killing.

Surprisingly, the Queen didn’t change that much to be in her Alien-Form. She got bigger and her long red hair turned into a hard thorn, protecting her back from bullets. An extra pair of arms had grown, as much as a giant tail to attack enemies coming from behind. Her eyes were completely black, only green slits as pupils were shining out of their darkness. Other than the usual, she didn’t have a giant alien head, she had her normal face but two sets of mouth filled with sharp teeth.

Red was a Queen worthy of her title. She did everything she could to protect her people and soon enough, the baby station was void of any soldier. Craig looked around, his yellow eyes occasionally fixing on a crying mother who held her little child in her arms; it’s live robbed from the soldiers. When more soldiers were running towards them, they all turned around in panic, ready to fight them off so they could evacuate the suffering women.

But when Stan saw the first one pulling the trigger, heard how the bullet was shot through the air and hit a child, he couldn’t do it anymore. His wide opened eyes shone in a bright light, as well as a third eye that suddenly appeared on his forehead. It blinded the soldiers only for a second, and then everything was still, the bullets as well as the enemies frozen. Stan’s body was covered with weird marks which were in a bright blue, standing out on his skin and looked like they were engraved in it.

He was about to fall on the floor, but Craig moved fast enough to catch him before he could get hurt from the impact. “Stan?!” Craig turned the man around in his arms, seeing the third eye close and returning to only being moles. “What the… Stan!” The noirette groaned lightly and opened one of his regular eyes only a bit, exhaustion was written over his face.

“Craig! Stan!” Kyle called out as he ran towards them, avoiding the people in their way and not paying attention that they were frozen in time. “Thank God you two are okay.” He got next to Craig and looked at Stan before glancing at the enemies. “That was him, I guess?”

“Yeah, he… Kyle, he used his third eye, I saw it,” mumbled Craig in explanation, gliding with careful movements over the marks on the boy’s skin. “We have to leave as long as he can hold it up. How far did his powers reach?”

“At least through the whole nest,” Kenny answered, then turned to Red who was staring at them together with Gary. “Queen Red, you have seen what Stanley is capable of! You have to decide if you want to be part of the rebellion and help us defeat the people who did this!” The Cyborg gestured around the room, at all the corpses and the spilled blood.

Red looked around the room, her anger flowing over when she saw all her lost comrades, of her lost family members. An angry roar forced its way out of the queen’s throat, filling the whole nest with the sound and making the other’s wince. When she looked back at Kenny, she nodded lightly. “We will fight for you as long as you will fight for us when we need your help.” Kenny nodded and he and the others bowed lightly in front of her. “But for now you should leave, I told my folk to flee in our other nest which is hidden under the surface. As long as the time is frozen and enough fight off the army, we should be save there. No go!”

The group turned around and did as the queen said; they ran as fast as possible past all the frozen soldiers. Craig picked Stan up after a few feet, he couldn’t run anymore and was holding them back. When he heard beeping over his chullo, the noirette moved his hand to click on a button, accepting a call he got from Tweek.

_‘I’m at the ship and start it while the other two are getting unto their Mechas. Where are you?”_

“We’re on our way out of the next, I’m seeing the exit. Just get the ship ready for takeoff as so soon as we are on it,” Craig instructed to the blonde, glancing down at Stan who looked ready to pass out. He heard Tweek ending he call and concentrated on getting out and to their ship fast. But outside the fight was going on, the aliens fought against soldiers from the Principality and small combat ships flew over the area to shoot at anything on the ground. Even some of their own men.

Kyle and Kenny shot everyone who got in their way, making sure no one got too close to Craig and Stan. They had to run a few roundabout ways to their ship, through the bushes and under as many trees as possible. When they were finally able to see it, a face Craig knew too well stood in front of them, a blaster aimed at their faces.

“In the name of The Unity Of The Universe, stop resisting and come with me to the Principality DU-23 for interrogation and your sentences may be shortened!” Token yelled at them, a serious glare on his face. The Space Warrior checked out their faces and blanched lightly as he recognized Craig. “Craig… So it’s true that you turned to the rebels and kidnapped the object?”

“Yeah and you just proofed that I did the right thing,” snarled the noirette, holding Stan closer to his chest and frowning angrily at his former friend. Token and he got to know each other during a mission on which Craig had to stay on a combat ship with him. They became friend during that time and stayed in contact, chatting with one another once or twice a week and occasionally meeting up. But now the Alien in front of him was nothing else but an enemy, one that was in their way. “Stan is no subject, he’s a human being!”

“Do you know this?” Token dared to ask, “You can’t be sure of that, he’s dangerous, Craig!”

“Enough!” Shouted Kenny as he lifted his arm up and at the one in front of them, right under his wrist was the opening of a gun, ready to fire. “Step aside or die.”

“When you shoot, so will I,” said Token, still aiming at Craig and Stan. “I have a mission and I will-“ He was cut off when a spear was knocked against the back of his head. As he fell over, Tweek stood behind him with one of his spears in his hands, holding it like a baseball bat.

“He’s just unconscious,” he reassured Craig, even though he didn’t care now that he knew that Token was on the wrong side. “Now come, the ship is waiting!” The group didn’t hesitate and ran to the ship, jumping inside just as the Mechas next to them took off from the ground. Kyle and Kenny ran to the cockpit, Tweek and Craig with Stan in the back. Immediately they left the ground and flew off, other ships following them into space.

When they started to be attacked, the Mechas immediately got in between them to fight them off. But it were too many and they were too agile, one got past them and was able to shoot one strong laser beam at the rebellion spaceship, damaging it badly. Alarms went on, coloring the whole ship in a red color and making a loud beeping sound.

“Shit,” Kyle talked into the micro so the others could hear him in the back, too. “That fucking ship is on our tail, I need to make a hyper jump to get rid of it, but it’s dangerous with the damage!”

Tweek walked over to the talking system so Kyle was able to hear him. “We don’t care, there is no other chance otherwise we will be caught. And I’d rather die than be prisoner of the Government!” There was silence, only the alarm was still annoying loud before the countdown for the jump started. Everyone held onto something as they traveled through space way too fast to control the ship.

When the jump was finished, they were right in front of a planet and they could hear Kyle curse through the whole ship. It was useless, trying to navigate the metal transportation. They crashed down into a forest, sliding in the dirt and the window of the cockpit splattered open. Once they stood still, Craig looked up and saw some wires being open, the metal cladding of the walls fell off at most spots. He saw the electricity going wild and his eyes widened. “Out here! Now!”

No one asked questions, they just ran out of the ship and as they were a few feet away, it exploded form the inside, destroying it completely. “Fuck,” Kenny cursed while staring at the burning ship. “That’s the second one in just a few days, Wendy will be so angry.”

“Forget about Wendy,” Kyle grumbled, slowly standing up and taking off his Ushanka. “We’re stuck on this planet and I have no idea where we are.”

While the others talked about what to do next, Craig sat down against a tree and cradled Stan in his arms. He looked down at the noirette and frowned when he noticed him tremble heavily, his teeth even clattered together. With a worried scowl, Craig put his hand on Stan’s forehead and his eyes widened. “Guys!” the former soldier called out to the others, gaining their attention. “Stan has a high fever; I think it’s from using too much of his powers.”

Tweek and the others immediately came over to them and Kyle repeated Craig’s motion from before, feeling the heated skin with the backside of his hand. “Yeah, you’re right… He needs medicine,” declared the redhead, leaning back up and snatching Craig’s chullo off his head. “I’ll look up what planet we’re on and Tweek and Kenny will check out the surroundings. Make sure that no soldiers are around,” he instructed, and even though Tweek was the usual leader, he allowed Kyle to take over since he seemed to know what to do.

Kyle knew how to handle such a situation, it was not the first time he crashed on a foreign planet, it was a usual occurrence as a bounty hunter. He had everything under control and knew what to do first and how to handle the situation with the best results. As he used his friend’s hat to look up where they were, the two blondes disappeared in the trees. “Once I found our coordinates I can contact Wendy, the Mechas would be too noticeable. But our first priority will be getting medicine for Stan.” His green eyes were fixed on Craig, promising that he was serious and that they would help Stanley out.

Everything turned silent for a few minutes, only Stan’s labored breathing could be heard, as well as an occasional whimper. Craig laced with his fingers through his hair, making sure none of his bangs would stick to his sweaty forehead. When his powers would cause such a reaction just from using it for the expanse of the nest, what would happen when he used it for bigger areas?

Thinking about the possible consequences made Craig sick, in worst case it could cause the noirette’s death. And the government wanted to use him for it, wanted to win the war with him as their ace weapon. They’d probably just let him suffer through the sickness that followed, probably not caring about it and force him to keep going. The UOU was his death, certainly and when they wanted to get him, they had to rip him out of Craig’s dead body.

“Okay, we’re on a really modern planet and had luck that we crashed in one of the last forest parts. It would have been a disaster when we would have been in the city, since it’s an alliance of the UOU,” explained Kyle, his pupil moving to each new information that was shown In front of his right eye. “But I bet there’s a pharmacy and that we can find medicine, but I can’t check it out. To get a better look or information on the damn city, I need to register to some website and with that they could track us down. Sneaky bastards.”

“There has to be a pharmacy,” commented Craig and glanced up at his best friend who made a grimace. “What kind of city doesn’t have a pharmacy?” Kyle turned to him and nodded lightly, but before he could answer, they heard footsteps nearing. Through the bushes Kenny appeared, behind him a robot that was made of square, painted metal, Tweek was behind it. “What the…?”

“We found him when we explored the forest, said his name is Awesom.O 4000,” explained Kenny while walking over to his friends. The robot followed behind him, his movement slow and stiff.

“My name is Awesom.O 4000 and I’m the robot of the owner of this forest,” the robot started once he stood in front of the group, Tweek still behind him so he couldn’t escape. Not that this was a possibility, the robot was way too dull. “I found you during my daily patrol and registered, that you entered those wood without permission. I will report you to authorities when you don’t leave.”

“How about a deal,” the blonde stepped in front of the automaton, his spear in his hand. “You won’t do that or otherwise we will destroy you.” He held the spear in front of the machines face, the metallic body moving a bit back. At least it was intelligent enough to notice a thread and have a mind on its own that doesn’t want to be killed.

“And tell us where the pharmacy in the city is,” the redhead of the group added and joined Tweek’s side. He pulled out an USB stick and plugged it into the needed port at the machine’s head. That was when the robot started to fight a bit, arguing with the group as Kenny entered the conversation. At some point they were just threatening one another, insults were flying around and it seemed that Kyle and Awesom.O turned into immediate enemies.

Craig sighed silently and looked back down at the panting Stan, his cheeks were flushed from the fever and his swallowed sometimes, trying to get rid of the dry throat. His trembling kept getting worse and he hid his face as good in Craig’s chest as possible, groaning in discomfort when the sun hit his eyes. “Hey… how are you feeling?” He mumbled close to Stanley’s ear, making sure not to be too loud. All he got in return was a whimper and a hoarse ‘cold’. The older male shifted lightly to take off his jacket he wore over the uniform and put it around Stan to keep him warm. “Better?” Stan nodded weakly and exhaled loudly.

After a while he saw Kenny and Kyle leave, the robot was gone and Tweek appeared in his vision. “We deleted the protocol of that automaton after we got the needed information and Kenny and Kyle left to get medicine for Stan,” he told Craig who nodded in understanding. “I’ll stay here in case someone else appears, so that you can take care of Stanley in the worst case.” When the blonde got another nod, he sat down against a tree a few feet away and cleaned his spear with a rug from his pants pocket.

The sun already started to set, painting the sky lilac like a piece of art that should be hung up in a museum. Craig inhaled deeply and shifted moved lightly to get a bit more comfortable. He pulled Stan a bit up, earning a displeased moan, and placed him better in his lap. “It’s okay, just thought that this position would be a bit more comfy.”

“It is…,” whispered Stan with an anguished grimace as a shot of pain stormed through his whole body. He whined and whimpered a bit louder than usual and grabbed onto the taller’s clothes, fisting them between his fingers. “It hurts so much,” he cried out, tears starting to form in the corner of his eyes.

“I know, I know,” soothed Craig, rubbing over Stan’s back to calm him down and ease the pain a little. “But you’ll get through this, once the fever starts to get down it will be easier.”

“It’s so cold… but it’s also hot a-and I can’t stop to tremble,” Stan winced lightly and the teardrops escaped his eyes, mercilessly running down his cheeks.

“Kyle and Kenny will be back with the medicine soon,” promised the noirette and rocked the boy in his arms softly. It was an empty promise, they weren’t gone for long and he had no clue how close the next pharmacy was. In the worst case, they would be captured by the government and not return at all. But thinking negatively like that wasn’t helpful in their situation; he had to hope that everything went smoothly. “You should try to sleep and gain some of your energy back; opening your third eye drained you out.”

Stan shook his head weakly and slowly sat more up, he wrapped his arms around Craig’s neck and pulled himself close. Craig supported him the second he noticed what he was trying to do, flattening his hands on his back to hold him. The head of the smaller one rested on Craig’s shoulder and he got closer to his ears. “I’m sorry about the thing with Gary…” muttered the noirette. “It just hurt so much when you started to ignore me, I-I didn’t know what to do and just…”

The ebony haired boy wetted his tongue and coughed weakly before he could continue. “That hurt so much more than the pain I feel right now… And Gary was nice to me all the time so I just went with the flow… It felt wrong but I was so empty that I thought it would be okay, that maybe he could help me, you know?”

Craig nodded empathy, taking a deep breath when Stan turned silent, probably waiting for him to say something. “I should apologize, too. The reason I behaved like this was because I thought it would be best to get some distance to you. Because we will be separated at one point, Stan, and I hoped to lessen the hurt of this separation by not getting too attached to one another.” He moved his head lightly to glance at the person in his arms, but was only met with a mess of black hair. “…But when I saw you with Gary I just lost it and I immediately regretted that I did this.”

Stan pulled back from his position and pressed his forehead against Craig’s, catching their hair in between them. He opened his eyes and gazed into yellow, almost golden eyes of the person he loved. Another kind of warmth, a comfortable and welcomed one, circulated through his veins and he couldn’t help but smile softly. The noirette bit his lower lips weakly before he decided to say what needed to be said. “…I love you.”

The former soldier stared back, losing himself in the ocean that were Stan’s eyes as his hands moved up to stroke through the ebony hair. Goosebumps wandered over his body as Stan whispered those words, so vulnerable and careful and yet powerful enough to make Craig’s soul crash. Those three words used to hurt him – they reminded him of someone who betrayed him. All those years he wasn’t ready to say them back, didn’t want to be ready to say them ever again. But maybe this could change; maybe it just needed the right person.

Hands that were tangled in the black hair moved to cup the smaller one’s face, pulling his head lightly down so that Craig could kiss his forehead. His lips moved down to kiss the bridge of his nose, then the tip, only to arrive to soft lips. Craig could feel Stan’s hot breath against his own pair of lips, he hesitated for a second, debating if he should pull back. But when he glanced back at those blue orbs, he knew that it was useless to resist.

Slowly, Craig pressed his lips against the ones of the person he loved, holding him close. He felt how Stan started to lean against him, returning the kiss eagerly. Their lips moved against each other, silent noises were shared only to be muffled by the other one. It only took a few minutes until Craig pulled back; rubbing his nose against Stan’s whose eyes lovely opened. “I love you, too,” Craig muttered against the mouth he kissed mere seconds ago, earning a smile from the other.

For the rest of the day all those two did was cuddling, whispering to one another in comfort and future promises. Stan, even though he looked exhausted and kept coughing all the time, told that he wanted a farm with Space Cows and guinea pigs. He dreamed of getting Stripe back to them once the war was over and they could start from the very beginning. But in the end, all he truly wanted was to be with Craig, to have him by his side safe and sounds – and Craig could only agree.

“You know… about what we said after you found Gary and me-“ Stan started, but was imemdiatly interrupted by Craig.

“No, it’s okay. There’s no need for explanation,” when he looked down into the unsure eyes of his lover, he sighed through his nose. “But when you really want to talk about this, let’s wait until you’re fully healthy again, okay?” The noirette looked up to him and nodded slowly, he was pretty exhausted and the headache in his head was getting worse with every new words.

Tweek stood up a few feet away and looked at a certain bush, hearing people coming near. He exhaled a breath he didn’t even notice he was holding, when Kyle and Kenny were revealed. It must have been around midnight now, they were gone for a few hours and the sun left long ago.

Kyle walked up to Craig and Stan and gave the former a bottle. “Pills, they should help against the fever and pain.” Craig thanked him and took them, taking the bottle of water out of his pocket as he told Stan to take two of the white wonders. Just like a few hours before, Kyle stole the blue chullo and put it on. “I know our coordinates now, I’ll contact Wendy and you all should better listen to what I have to say.” The redhead took a few steps away and waited, he made the volume loud enough that the others could hear the black haired woman as well.

_“Wendy Testaburger talking, Craig, is that you?”_

“No, it’s me, Kyle, but I am using Craig’s Chullo. Did you already gear what happened?” Asked the redhead, biting his lower lip and moving his weight from one leg to the other within a few seconds. Kyle was nervous, he usually never moved uselessly like that. Something must have happened in the city.

_“Yeah, heard it from Christophe and Gregory, but you could escape thanks to a hump, right? Where are you?”_

“On a planet named Nodron, we crashed here in a little forest. The city – Nodron City – is in an alliance with the UOU, so it would be nice for you to come and pick us up as soon as possible,” Kyle almost ordered Wendy, his voice was strained and he clenched his fists at his side. “…Kenny and I were in the city today to get medicine for Stan, he’s sick, and… and we saw Leslie.”

All eyes were on the redhead and all were wide in shock and filled with slight panic. They paled by the thought of the Cyborg being so close to them. And then there was one question, did Leslie see him? Or even worse, did she see Kenny?

“I don’t think she saw me,” he answered the silent question that laid heavily in the air around the little camp. “…But she might have seen Kenny when we had to get past her. I’m not sure though and she definitely didn’t follow us to the spot we are. I’ll send you the coordinated now but then I have to shut the Chullo off, the possibility to track us down is too big.” He didn’t even wait for an answer and hung up, immediately doing as he said.

Only a few seconds later and Craig had his chullo bag on, the group gathering near the two on the ground. “How was it in the city?” The noirette asked, taking his hat off and placing it on Stan’s head instead to keep him warm. It was getting colder during the night and it was important for Stan’s condition to get better and not worse.

“Really damn modern, must be one of the most modern cities I’ve ever seen,” answered the redhead, his hands in his hips. “And that means something, you know how much I need to travel for my job.”

“It was insane,” Kenny added with a frown. “There were wanted letters almost everywhere and so many damn guards and soldiers. We can’t return there for food or water and need to use what we can find here.”

“Fuck,” cursed Tweek and he started to grab into his hair, pulling at his blond strands. “This is so much bullshit and pressure! We’re in so much trouble when that damn Cyborg finds us; we don’t have a chance against her!” It looked like he was having a panic attack and was about to break down. He muttered to himself and trembled heavily, it was weird seeing him like that, the strong leader of the Wargorgs.

“Tweek,” Kenny walked to him, putting his hands on his shoulders. But the blonde didn’t react to him, he was nervously looking around as if someone was hiding in the darkness of the forest to attack him. “You’re having a panic attack, is there something we can do to help you through this?”

Tweek’s wide eyes moved to Kenny, looking him up and down. “D-David, I-I ne- GAH! – need David!”

“He’s not here,” the Cyborg explained with a slow and calming voice. “Is there something else we can do?” The Wargorg stared at him and trembled heavily, tears were forming in his eyes as the panic kept rising inside him. Then he tried to do what David always told him to; he closed his eyes and counted to ten, taking deep and regulated breathes.

Kenny decided to join him and try to help him through this, to show that he wasn’t alone in the situation. And it did help, a few minutes later Tweek was able to calm down with the help of his friend. He sat down against a tree near Craig’s and sighed lightly. “I’m sorry that you had to see me like that,” he mumbled, his eyes closed as he leaned against the tree trunk behind him.

“No need to apologize,” Kyle assured, “everyone panics and you’re e being with feelings, close to us humans, we understand.” He sent him a empathizing smile and gained a nod from the blonde. “So… next topic,” the redhead pulled out a newspaper he had in the back pocket of his pants, hidden under the long leather coat. “I stole that from the city, honestly surprised that something this modern still has printed stuff.”

“Why did you steal a newspaper?” Craig asked with a brow raised in question.

“Because I read the headline and it says that they caught people from the rebellion,” reported the bounty hunter while unfolding the paper in his hands. He cleared his throat before retelling what he was reading. “They caught four of our members and plan to execute them in three days. They… Shit, they even wrote down their names…”

“Who is it?” Kenny asked while looking at his boyfriend. When he stayed silent, he pressed. “Come on Kyle, who are they?”

“I don’t know the first two, but… the other two are Jerome Chef and Big Gay Al…”

“No,” Craig mumbled, his eyes large in shock as he stared up at his best friend who was clenching his jaw together. “This… Are you sure?”

“I reread the names at least three times and as long as the letters don’t work different on this damn planet, yes, I am sure, Craigory,” Kyle spat back, obviously enraged by the news. Shit, shit, shit!” He threw the paper on the ground in anger, stomping on it afterwards.

“We need to save them,” Kenny threw in, taking a step forward. “We can get into the city at night and free them.”

“Are you stupid?!” Yelled Tweek, his eyes fixed on the other blonde. “It’s way too risky, you said so yourself only mere minutes ago!”

“But we can’t let them die! They’re our friend and part of our organization! Do you really just want to let them down and leave them behind to be executed?!” The Cyborg screamed back, spitting at the words left his mouth.

The two kept arguing and Craig stayed silent, thinking about what would be the best to do. Kyle was doing the same, with a concentrated scowl on his face he stared down at the ground, one hand on his chin. This situation was unfortunate, of course Craig wanted to safe them, too, but he had to think about the big picture and possible consequences. Kenny obviously didn’t, but Tweek did, he was a leader after all and knew how to calculate the possible results.

When he heard a groan under him, he glanced down and saw Stan with a hurt grimace on his face. It was too loud for him; the yelling made the headache worse. He tried to hide his face against his lover’s shoulder, but that didn’t help much against the noises. Craig frowned and moved his hands up and over Stan’s ears to help him block out the voices. “Hey!” He yelled at the others, feeling bad when he felt Stan flinch together, he kissed his head as an apology before angrily looking at his friends. “Shut up now, Stan is sick and can’t deal with all your stupid shouting.” His words were filled with venom, letting them know that when they wouldn’t shut up on their own, he’d make them. And not in the pleasant kind of way.

Kenny and Tweek glanced at each other before nodding lightly, both apologizing for their reckless behavior. “Good,” continued the noirette and he sighed in relieve when Stan relaxed a bit. “All the fighting is useless. We’ll wait for Wendy and ask her what to do, till then we need to lay low and not gain any attention. Understood?” The other three nodded, knowing that the former soldier was right.

There really wasn’t more to do than wait.

Over two days the group stayed in the camping, fearing the day the execution would happen. It was only one night left to safe them and at this point everyone was fidgety. They lived on the bit water they could get from puddles that were left from rain and ate berries Tweek was able to find. But there were also good news; Stan was slowly getting better and able to stand on wobbly legs. Craig stayed close to him most of the time and took care of him. And finally the day came that a space ship landed in their camp. A big hatch opened at the end, a ramp leading down to the ground, Wendy stepped out.

Immediately Tweek reported what had happened and what they did over the last few days. As an answer, Wendy did the same thing. She explained that they were able to take over the hide out of the government and that they gained new weapons through that. Bebe was still there, taking care that everything was going smoothly. After a while Kyle went up to her, too and told her about the execution that would happen in the morning of the next day.

Wendy nodded lightly and walked up and down, thinking about what to do. “…This is a trap, it has to be,” she started and turned to the five, making sure everyone listened to her. “I checked up on the city and they rarely sell anything printed on paper and most likely not newspaper. Everything there is digital, so the fact that you found this with the news of the execution on the front page is suspicious. It’s a trap and with that too dangerous, we can’t save them.”

“But-“ Kenny started, but with a raised hand the black haired woman stopped him from continuing.

“No, Kenny, I know how emotional you are and that you know them, but I say that it’s too dangerous! Leslie probably saw you, she’s one of the greatest dangers that exist for us and the chance that she has something to do with this,” she pointed at the newspaper that was crumbled and dirty, “Are too big. It hurts me, too, I know all of those people and they’re my friends, but I have to act responsible for the greater good. So we will leave tomorrow in the morning when everyone pays attention to it, I brought some fresh water and food.”

And just like that the topic was done and she walked back into the ship to get the food, as well as sleeping bags for everyone. It was the first time in three days that the group had real dinner and clean water to drink. Wendy also promised that they could take showers at their next stop, which would be one of their main stations. After dinner they spread out the sleeping bags, Craig was glad to have them so that Stan could finally rest properly.

All of them fell asleep rather quickly thanks to the comfort and warmth that hugged their bodies. It was in the middle of the night that Craig awoke to voices, one of them was Stan who sounded tired and confused. The former soldier decided to pretend to sleep, listening to the conversation between Stan and, as he recognized, Kenny.

“Sorry for waking you but… I need to go and safe them. I just have to,” whispered the blonde to Stan, desperation visible in his voice. “And I wanted to ask… now that you feel a bit better, that you could come along and help out with your powers in the worst case.”

Stan was silent, grumbling lightly before answering. “Kenny… I don’t think that I’m able to use my power again, not yet.”

“And it’s a shit idea,” Craig interrupted; startling the two and making them jump lightly. He leaned up on one of his elbows, wrapping his other arm around the noirette next to him. “Stan is still sick, Kenny, do you really want to risk him being captured by the government? We went all this way to protect him from them and you want to lead him right into their arms.”

“But they will die when we don’t help them! Can you live with that?!” Kenny shout whispered, making sure the others didn’t wake up from their argument.

Craig sighed lightly, wetting his lips while thinking about what to do next. “I’ll come with you, Stan stays here.” The younger man wanted to protest, but Craig silenced him with just a look. “You’re sick and can’t use your powers anyway, not to forget that we’re supposed to protect you. So you stay here and tell the others where we are when we aren’t back in the morning, alright?”

Stan looked in his eyes with narrowed eyes before nodding lightly, agreeing to it. “Yeah, alright,” he mumbled and leaned up to give his lover a peck on the lips, Craig returning it. Afterwards he tucked him back into the sleeping bag and left with Kenny.

The blonde was grinning at him and when the noirette looked over, he wiggled with his eyebrows. “I knew you two would end up together, I wish I would have taken the bet with Wendy.”

“Are you serious?” Groaned Craig, rolling his eyes back in annoyance. “And we aren’t together… yet. We want to talk about everything once he’s fit again.”

“Well, you two are obviously in love and I can’t wait for it to be official.”

After a while, they could see the beginning of the city at the edge of the forest. Kenny took a deep breath and Craig got his blaster ready, but before they took another step, they heard rustling behind them. They jumped around and were faced with an angry bounty hunter, who had his arms crossed in front of his chest.

“Are you two fucking serious?” Kyle asked with a deep growl, almost snarling at them as he walked closer. “You weren’t allowed to go and do this bullshit, Kenny!”

“Why do you think it was my idea?” The blonde immediately retorted, looking offended at his boyfriend.

“Because I know you and I know Craig. You are an emotional idiot, while Craig thinks logical,” replied the redhead, leaning closer to Kenny. “And you should know that I wouldn’t let you do something dumb like this without me.” The blue eyes of the Cyborg widened lightly when he heard it and a big grin spread on his face.

“Oh, I know why I love you,” Kenny whispered before he leaned in and gave Kyle a kiss, wrapping his arms around the redhead. Craig coughed loudly, making sure that they remembered that he was still there. Immediately Kyle pulled away with rosy cheeks, pushing his boyfriend weakly away from him. “Alright, let’s do this then.”

Silently, the trio made its way to the city only to discover it being void of life. There was no one, no guard or civilian and you could have heard a hair falling on the floor. I was creepy and suspicious, but at least it made it easier for the friends to get through the city without being seen. Still, they kept their presence hidden as good as possible by walking through alleys.

“It freaks me out that the streets are so empty, that can’t be normal,” whispered Kyle, knowing that the others were close enough to answer him.

“I read that there’s a curfew since Stanley was stolen and they started looking for him,” Kenny told, looking around to make sure they could run freely. “After 10 pm no one is allowed outside except guards, but they must be near the facility to guard the other rebels.”

“Do they really have so little guards that there can’t be anyone patrolling in such a big city?” Craig asked with suspicion in his voice, this all smelled like a trap to him and by the way Kyle grimaced, he felt the same. Only the Cyborg was still enthusiastic that everything would be fine.

“Don’t worry guys, we’ll just get in, free our friends and then get out,” the blonde said, glancing over his shoulder at his companions, “I got this, just listen to me.” Kyle and Craig glanced at each other and just shrugged, deciding that to trust in their friend. Kenny had experience in breaking into buildings of the government, which was why he was feared by them.

As they followed the blonde, the redhead decided to address the elephant in the room. “So you and Stan, eh? How did that turn out?”

Craig’s cheek tinted into a slight red, his expression however didn’t change a bit. “…I surprised him and Gary when they were about to have sex.”

“Doesn’t surprise me,” Kyle answered.

“What?” The black haired man looked over to his friend with a scowl, he would have screamed but seeing their situation, that was a bad idea. “What do you mean you’re not surprised?!”

“You didn’t notice?” Asked the redhead with a surprised look on his face, turning into an annoyed one with rolling his eyes back, as he saw the deadpanned face of his longtime friend. “Gary was clinging to Stan and always talking to him while you idiot ignored him. He was slowly burying himself into Stan’s affection, always by his side, touching him lightly and giving compliments. Moses, Craig, they even held hands a few times and you didn’t notice it because you were so stubborn.”

“Shit, I really pushed him into Gary’s arms, didn’t I?”

“Yes, yes you did,” Kyle clapped on his back weakly, “But now you two are together, right? You’re kissing and cuddling, it’s really disgusting to watch.”

Craig scoffed lightly and held back a chuckle. “We can’t be as bad as you and Kenny, I once vomited when I saw you two using pet names. _Pet names_ , Kyle!”

“Don’t be jealous, you two will get there once you’re ready and grown up enough,” mocked Kyle with a wide grin, earning a breathy laugh from the other.

“Would you two stop talking like an old married couple back there?” Kenny threw him, looking over his shoulder again with a raised brow.

“Why? Jealous?” Craig jokingly questioned.

“Of course not, I know Kyle and I will be even worse once we’re old and married.” That gained another soft laugher. “But we’re almost there, so keep it down from now on.” The others agreed with a nod and kept following the blonde.

Kyle leaned into Craig and mumbled in his ear. “But you have to tell me how you two turned from ignoring to kissing once we’re done here and back, alright?” The former soldier turned to his friend and answered him with a nod again; agreeing to explain once this was over and they were safe in the space ship.

Just a few minutes later they arrived at the facility, a big building that stood out by its grayish walls. Kenny was able to hack the cameras and electrical doors, guiding the others inside without being caught by any device. Once inside, he checked a plan and pointed at one room where was written that it would hold the prisoners. “…Isn’t this all a bit too easy?” Craig mentioned when they walked through the halls along the walls, making sure to not meet and guards.

“They must be preparing for the executions,” Kenny reasoned, still leading the two.

“Kenny, on the plan was written that there would be the prisoner. On this floor,” Kyle threw in, stepping to his boyfriend to talk better, “This sounds like a trap, they wouldn’t have them on this floor, and they’re usually underground for safety reasons. Also, the plan would have written ‘Cells’ and not ‘prisoners’, don’t you think?”

“Maybe they’re just dumb,” the Cyborg shrugged and when Kyle wanted to say something again, he shushed him as he opened a double door. They stepped into a big open room, it was almost completely dark wouldn’t it be for a light that shone down in the middle. There, right in the spotlight, was a small stage build up for hanging people. On the stage stood the caught rebels with ropes around their necks and gags in their mouths, at the lever stood one of the most famous enforcers. Jimmy Valmer. “What the…” he blonde mumbled with wide eyes.

Suddenly behind them the doors slam shut, echoing a loud bang. Within a second they were surrounded by soldiers and they didn’t even have the time to react as they were pushed down on their knees. Each of them were held by a guard, one hand on their shoulder to keep them down and the other fisted in their hair, making sure they looked up. The other guards aimed their weapons on them, ready to shoot if they just dared to move.

“Wh-Who would have th-thou-thought that you’d be stu-stupid enough to fall for our trap?” The enforcer stuttered with an amused face. “But don’t worry, you won’t have to suf-suffer for long, once they’re gone two of you will be ha-hanged next. The Cy-Cy-Cyborg will be brought to Eusum to be checked for information.”

“No…” Kenny mumbled as he glanced over to his lover who gritted his teeth in anger, locking his eyes with the blonde. He swallowed hard, not knowing what to do.

“Now say goodbye to your friends!” Jimmy screamed before he pulled the lever. The ground under the prisoners fell open, making them fall through it and be hanged. Three of them immediately died by a broken neck, but one, Al, didn’t have the luck. He cried heavily and squirmed around, trying to do something as his air was cut off. Slowly he lost unconscious from the lack of oxygen, his body twitched a few times until he was declared dead. 

The three friends watched with wide eyes, fear and worry filled their whole body as they had to watch their friends die at the hand of such a monster. Kyle was trembling heavily and heaved once when Al kept twitching, he didn’t want to watch, but the soldier behind him forced his head back up. Craig bit his lip, strong enough to taste iron as he started to bleed. All he could think about that they’d be next to hang there, die just like their comrades. That he’d leave Stan behind after all the promise, but he also was glad that he didn’t take him along, at least he was safe from all this.

As the corpses were transported out of the room, Jimmy looked over the other rebels with a smile and nodded. Craig and Kyle were forced on their legs by the people behind them; Kenny had to stay on the ground. When the Cyborg watched how his boyfriend, the love of his life, was forced towards the stage, he had enough. All those minutes he gathered energy in his body and it was time to break it free.

A loud roar erupted from his mouth and everyone turned around to see what was happening. Some of Kenny’s joints started to shine in a bright color, only for laser beams to burst out from them, killing the soldiers around him. Fast he stood up and used the blaster that was build into the palm of his hands to shoot more. Craig and Kyle used the chance to get her weapons back, immediately shooting more of the soldiers who were taken aback.

Once there was enough space, they ran out of the doors, loud sirens started to sound in the building as well as outside on the streets. That was why the city was so empty, in case they would escape and no civilians could stand in the way. Soldiers and guards started to come from every side, shooting at them but never hitting. Kyle dared to look over his shoulder, his eyes widened. “Leslie is here! She’s right at the back!” He exclaimed. “We have to get away from here or she’ll stop us!”

“Working on an escape route right now!” Kenny shouted over the shooting, pulling them into an alley and over a fence for a short cut. They came out on another street, but soon enough there were soldiers, too. When they thought that there was not chance to escape, Wendy’s space ship was in the sky and getting down, opening the big hatch at the back.

“I told you it was a trap!” She shouted out while the ship adapted its speed to their running and got lower till they could jump in. Craig was the first to jump in; Stan helped pulling him up, soon followed by the other two. As they all got in, the former soldier immediately hugged Stan to show that he was okay, then pulled away to sigh in relief. “You three are in so much trouble I swear by God!”

The latch started to close and Tweek made his way to the cockpit to switch off autopilot. Soldiers were still shooting at the ship, trying to catch them but not able to. But then there was one who had the needed ability. Kyle looked out of the hatch and his eyes widened when he saw Leslie pointing up at Craig, the person who was in front of her main target, Stanley.

Too much happened in just a second, time started to slow down as Leslie pulled the trigger, three laser beams shot out under her wrist. Craig was slammed to the ground together with Stan who he was still holding on. He heard a loud cry of pain and a third body falling to the ground. When he looked up, the hatch was closed and Kyle was on the ground, blood seeping through his clothes, painting three giant patches red.

Kenny cried out as he saw his lover on the ground, immediately running up to him and gathering him in his arms. “Shit,” he whispered under his breath, gliding with his free hand over Kyle’s chest, feeling his heavy breath and the blood. “Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit!”

Craig and Stan slowly stood up, he held Stan close to his body while watching how his best friend fought for breath, trying hard to calm his fast beating heart down. Wendy stood a bit away from them, her eyes just as large in shock and terror. Kyle was hit by one of Leslie’s Triple-Blasters, right through the chest to safe his best friend from this fate.

Kyle was dying.

The Cyborg trembled heavily, almost as bad as Kyle, as he moved his bloody hand up to cups the other’s face. “Kyle, hey, stay awake, okay?” Tears were streaming out of his eyes; landing on Kyle’s slowly paling skin. “You have to stay with me, okay? You can’t leave me alone with the others, I need you.”

“K-Kenny…” Kyle stuttered out, one hand squeezing his lover’s clothes, only to let go again, then grabbing again. He tried to control his body, hold down the spasms that went through it as it went into shock from the blood lost. “I lo-love you…” Whispered the man, tears escaping his wide green eyes now, too. They were filled with fear and horror, Kenny never wanted to see them like that, he didn’t want to watch as they lost their lives.

Kenny looked up and locked his gaze on Stan. “You! Can’t you stop the time for him? Just for him so we can take care of this?!”

Stan looked at his two friends in fright, dread and regret filling his expression as he slowly shook his head. “I’m sorry… I don’t have enough energy to use any of my powers…” The black haired boy started to sob as he watched Kyle’s slowly dying body. “I’m so sorry…”

Kyle shook his head lightly, trying to say that there was no reason to, they knew this and it was not Stanley’s fault. His eyes found Craig and he smiled weakly when he saw his sad expression, he rarely saw his best friend like that. When he tried to say something he coughed heavily, blood spitting out of his mouth and against Kenny’s face and chest.

The blonde looked down in terror and then at Wendy angrily. “Isn’t there a planet near where we can get help?! Some with a hospital or one of our stations to safe him?! Anywhere?!” He shouted out at Wendy, his eyes were red and puffy by now and he didn’t look like the dangerous Cyborg everyone knew. No, he looked like a person who was about to loose his lover. 

“We can’t,” Wendy started with a strained voice, trying to keep calm and composed for the others. “There aren’t any planets we can trust close enough and the government is probably right behind us. When we land now they’ll catch us and make sure Kyle wouldn’t get any help and just let him die. And then everything would have been for nothing.”

Kenny shook his head heavily in disbelieve, not wanting to lose the love of his life, the person he wanted to marry and have a family with once the war was over. They made so many promises to each other; so many memories were flying through his head. It hurt; it hurt so bad that for a moment he thought this wasn’t real. That it couldn’t be real, it could not be possible for him to hold his lover in his arms as he died. How could he let this happen? He wouldn’t and that was why this wasn’t real. It was just a nightmare.

But then he felt a cold hand against his cheek, one that painted it red with the person’s own blood. The Cyborg looked down and new tears shot in his eyes when he saw Kyle, blood flowing out of his mouth as he smiled up at Kenny. His green eyes didn’t cry anymore and the trembles slowly withdrew. “Kenny…” He whispered with a hoarse voice, using all his strength to keep his hand on his lover’s cheek and speak. “It’s okay… Every-Everything will be alright, okay?”

“How… How can you even say this…?” Whimpered the blonde, placing his hand over Kyle’s to nuzzle into his palm, spreading the blood over his face. “Darling, please, I need you… You can’t…!”

“Sweetheart,” Kyle continued, his smile didn’t waver once as he talked up to him. “Y-You have to keep going… Keep fighting for our cause and make me proud…” Kenny nodded fast, silently promising that he will end this war for him and for the people who would go through the loss of a loved person. He bit his lower lip as his lover’s breathing grew shallower; the ground around them was flooded with the crimson and thick fluid. “I love you… so much… Please remember this…”

“I will,” Kenny leaned down and kissed Kyle’s forehead, then his cold lips before pressing his forehead against his. “I love you too, so damn much. And I’ll find you; I don’t care if in the afterlife or when we get reborn. I will find you and make you fall for me again, and then we’ll finally live in peace.” He smiled against Kyle’s lips who smiled at the thought, too.

“I Love you…” Seconds past, seconds that felt like minutes for everyone around them. Craig was crying, sniffing sometimes while Stan was openly sobbing. He turned around to bury his face in the other’s neck and he was hugged close. Wendy tried to keep back the tears and pretended that they weren’t there as they ran down her face. Tweek, who returned from the cockpit, stood at the door, staring at the pair on the ground before leaving again.

Kenny slowly lifted his head again, looking down at his love and his dull lifeless eyes. He sobbed loudly, shaking the stiff body weakly in the hope that there still was a chance of saving him. But there wasn’t and when he realized that Kyle was gone, an agonizing scream was forced out of his chest, filling the ship with the pain of a person who lost the most important someone that could ever exist.

Kyle Broflovski was dead, he died to protect his friends and the cause he fought for; Peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that was the fifth chapter of Till The Last Starlight!
> 
> Well, what to say? Yes, Kyle was the main character death I mentioned earlier and that was also the reason I said that you’ll hate Leslie. Or at least I hope you do. And yep, at this point I counted Kyle as one of the main characters, Kenny, too. 
> 
> The reason why Leslie shot at Craig, risking to hit Stanley too even though she wants to catch him alive, will be explained either in the next chapter or later in the story! So please don’t break your head about this, it seems to be not very logical, but she had a reason. 
> 
> I hope you all know to take the warnings serious, this story won’t be happy anymore (or not that much, at least). Moments like the ones in this chapter will return, they will be more frequently and the war will have a bigger role from now on.
> 
> And we aren’t that far away from the ending anymore, either! 
> 
> [Commissions are open!](https://natari-55.tumblr.com/post/629331436009324544/writing-commissions-are-open)  
> [My Tumblr!](https://natari-55.tumblr.com/)  
> [Buy Me A Ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/natari) and get a 500 words One Shot from me!
> 
> Stay tuned!
> 
> Comments are always appreciated and a big motivation for every writer!


	6. Star-Crossed Lovers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Funeral, Blood, Explicit Sexual Content 
> 
> Not Beta-Read, so please excuse small errors!

There was silence over the ship; only the occasional whimper of a broken Cyborg could be heard filling the rooms. Craig was sitting on the floor, Stan in front of him and pulled against his chest, they watched Kenny holding the corpse of his lover close. It had been two hours and there were still tears coming out of the blonde’s eyes, dropping down on the lifeless body of Kyle. None of them moved, only Wendy left to help Tweek out in the cockpit, trying to get away from the government who was still after them.

Then they heard the door to the room open and Wendy’s heels clicking over the hard floor. She walked up to her weeping friend and knelt down in front of him. The young woman placed one of her gloved hands on Kenny’s shoulder, squeezing lightly. “Ken,” she started with a soft voice, trying to get his attention. “We have to place him in a bag, Kenny. His body will only-“

“No!” Kenny shouted, throwing his head up and growling at her. His usual blue eyes shone lightly red, mirroring the anger he felt by hearing those words. “Don’t you fucking touch him, Wendy!” The black haired woman stood up and stepped back fast, her eyes wide in shock. “He-He can’t be placed in such a bag…!” Whimpered the Cyborg, his lower lip trembling as he tried to control the sobs. Wendy only sighed lightly before she nodded, understanding that Kenny wasn’t ready for this yet, and left.

Relieved that she got the message, Kenny pulled Kyle closer again, nuzzling his face and whimpering again as tears returned to his eyes. Stan watched him and turned around to cuddle up against Craig, laying his head on his shoulder. “I feel so sorry for him,” he whispered into the other’s ear, “he just lost Kyle and we can’t do anything to help him.”

“We can let him mourn in peace,” Craig whispered back, stroking with his hand over Stan’s back while having his eyes on Kenny. Kyle’s body already got stiff under Kenny, but the Cyborg at least closed his eyes by now, giving the bounty hunter the respect he deserved. “…But we have to decide what to do with his corpse, soon, so we don’t have to watch how his body starts to rot…”

Stan glanced over his shoulder at the blonde when he heard the door open again. Tweek and Wendy entered the room side by side, stopping in front of the small group. “We were able to get rid of the government and should be safe for now. But now we have to discuss what we do with Kyle’s body,” Tweek announced, his eyes fixed on no one in particular. Kenny flinched together at those words and lifted his head slowly up, looking at the two standing people. “I know it’s hard for you, Kenny, but we can’t just leave him like this. He deserves to be honored during a funeral.”

“Maybe we should bring him back to his family so-“ Wendy started, but she got cut off by Kenny.

“Never! We will not bring him there, only over my dead body!”

“What why?” Wendy asked perplexed. Craig thought about answering the question, but he decided that it was Kenny who should explain.

“Because his parents would abandon his corpse in some dumpster,” accused the blonde with a snarl. “His father, Gerald, is another bounty hunter who hates the rebellion, he would have disinherit Kyle when he would have known about his place in the rebellion. We can’t bring him there, it’s just wrong.”

“But what else should we do to honor him properly?” Asked Wendy with a slight frown, she crossed her arms under her breasts and sighed lightly.

Tweek lifted his hand to his chin and scratched there slightly, wincing at the few hairs that started to grow. “When someone of my people dies, we burn the corpse and celebrate him as a goodbye. With colorful lights and a bog feast while watching his soul leaving to the sky with the smoke. But that isn’t possible since we won’t come across a planet that would allow us that for some time.”

“We won’t?” Craig spoke up.

The black haired woman shook her head before explaining their situation. “No, our next stop is one of our biggest hide outs and to get rid of the government, we had to fly further away from it before getting closer. We don’t have the time to land somewhere before arriving and we also have almost no allies on our way there.”

Kenny shook his head weakly in disbelieve before looking down at Kyle, stroking through his red curls before pulling the green hat back on. “…I want to burn him.” He looked up with a determined expression on his face, his eyes on Wendy. “This ship was used to transport goods and animals, but also for illegal stuff, right?”

“How do you know?” Wendy asked, hiding the shock in her voice well.

“I used to travel in them, sometimes I myself was an illegal person to be transported. And I know for a fact that all those ships have hidden stoves in case they need to get rid of something illegal fast and discard it into space,” Kenny explained.

“Yes, you’re right,” admitted the ice sniper, nodding her head slowly, “the oven is hidden behind a wall. And it should be big enough to burn Kyle in a normal lying position.”

“Then we’ll do that and give the ash to the space during a star shower, he would have liked this,” mumbled the Cyborg, looking down at his lover and biting his lips.

“Then it’s decided,” stated Tweek, “Wendy and I will look for one close to us while you and Craig burn the corpse.” Everyone agreed with a nod and Wendy and he blonde left the others alone again. Craig placed Stan on a bed in a small room that was only separated by a curtain from the other one. Once he made sure that he fell asleep, he walked back to Kenny and saw that he opened a hidden door in one of the walls. Behind it was a big oven, big enough to burn at least two people in it.

“I can’t believe that we have to do this…” Craig uttered as he walked up to Kenny, slowly helping him to place Kyle in the furnace. They made sure that his eyes and mouth were closed, as well as checking that his clothes was smooth and no hair in his face. Kyle’s hands were placed on his chest and intertwined in each other, making it look like he fell asleep while watching the stars.

“I can’t believe it either…” Kenny said back, staring at the cold body of the person he loved the most in this universe. He stroked over Kyle’s forehead one last time and kissed his eyelid before pulling back and closing the glass door of the oven. With a defeated sigh, he walked over to the control and switch on; they could see fire extinguishing from the different sides, burning the corpse inside.

“You know,” continued the Cyborg, his eyes staring at the fire that embraced the body. “Kyle looked for me when my bounty was high enough to last him for his whole life. He had the intention to either catch me alive or kill me, so I wouldn’t be a threat anymore, that idiot… His plan was to kill me and now, in the end, he was the one who died…”

“…How did you two fall in love?” Questioned the former soldier, glancing at the blonde before looking back at the fire as well.

Kenny snorted lightly by the thought. “He couldn’t resist me,” snickered the Cyborg and when he gained an unbelieving gaze from the other male, he groaned in defeat. “I couldn’t resist him. God, the first time I saw him on a desert planned I thought I was hallucinating from the heat and saw an Angel. Well, that was until he pointed his blaster at me and told me to come along.” Craig cackled amused, imagining Kyle with his mask and jetpack landing a few feet away from the Cyborg. “I asked him if it hurt when he fell from heaven and do you know what he did?”

“Shoot at you out of embarrassment?”

“Exactly!” Laughed Kenny, shaking his head at the memory. “His face got so red when he heard it and he just shot. Luckily I was able to dodge it, and from then on he chased me around in the desert for at least five days. One day, during night, he told me he had enough of the game and that we should deal with it like men. He threw his weapons away and walked up to me, I thought he wanted to beat me up, but instead he threw out a pick up line.”

“Seriously?” Asked Craig with a cocked eyebrow and he got a fast nod in return. “Wow, he really must have liked you. He hated pick up lines.”

“Yeah, it was a bit miserable how he tried to keep up with my good ones, but eventually he called defeat and as the winner, he said he’d leave me alone,” whispered Kenny out as he wallowed in the memories. Tears were slowly filling his eyes and his voice strained as he forced the words out, laced with sadness. “But I didn’t want to, I told him about the rebellion and that we’d need a brave bounty hunter like him. He laughed at first but I got him to stay with me on the planet a bit more and explained everything I knew. And somehow, over this time, we got closer and… One night I wanted to kiss him, but he kissed me instead and from then on we were one. Now he’s gone… and I will never be whole again…”

As the tears ran down Kenny’s cheek, Craig turned to him and pulled him into a hug. Their bodies were illuminated by the burning fire that turned the body of a loved person slowly into ash. Kenny winced and whimpered, glancing at the flames with a blurry vision and slowly accepting that it was real. “He talked a lot about you,” the blonde added almost inaudible for the other. “You two were so good friends and so close… It must be hard for you, too, and I am so egoistic to not think about it… I am so sorry… I made it harder than necessary…”

“It’s fine,” reassured the former soldier, “I don’t know how it feels to lose the most important someone in your life, so I won’t judge you.”

“…I hope you’ll never find out how it feels…” Kenny’s grip tightened on Craig’s back before pulling away, his gaze on his friend’s before it wandered over to the slowly dying flames. All that was left were ashes of a former body, ready to be released into space.

The door opened and Tweek entered the room, clearing his throat lightly before talking. “We should arrive at a shower in a few minutes, Kenny, did Kyle have a song you think he’d enjoy listen to during a funeral?” Kenny looked up at the ceiling and tapped his chin a few times before nodding. “Okay, we’ll listen to it when we give his leftovers to the space.” Then the Wargorg turned to Craig. “And you should wake up Stan; I bet he doesn’t want to miss it.”

And just like that Tweek and Kenny went to the cockpit while Craig walked back into the small room with the bed. Careful not to squeeze Stan’s body under his own, he sat down at the edge of the mattress and weakly shook the noirette’s shoulder. “Stan, wake up, we can start the funeral soon,” he said, making sure not to talk too loud.

The black haired boy turned to the other and his bags under his eyes declared how exhausted he was. “Can’t I sleep just five more minutes…?” Muttered Stan, one hand found his eye to rub the sleep out of it without any great effect. Craig moved the back of his hand to the smaller one’s forehead and checked his temperature. He grunted lightly when he felt that the fever still wasn’t completely gone and that they were almost out of medicine.

“Okay, but only five more minutes, alright?” Approved the former soldier and he got a nod in return. As he moved to stand up and leave Stan alone, he felt a hand tugging at his sleeves and turned around with raised eyebrows. Stanley was looking up at him and slowly pulled him down on the mad, quietly asking for his company. Craig breathed a chuckle and laid down next to him and let the other climb on top of him, placing his head under the former soldier’s chin. Both sighed in relaxation and only a few seconds later Stan’s breathing evened out as he fell back asleep.

With the tip of his fingers Craig stroked over Stan’s back as he listened to his breathing. The soft noises he made when he inhaled the air around them and the hot breath when he exhaled against Craig’s skin. It was in this moment the noirette realized completely that it could have been himself who died. Kyle shoved him away from the hatch and died by the shot from Leslie, he sacrifieced his live to save Craig’s. Normally he would have been the one burning away in the oven and set free into space. But it was Kyle, his best friend, who had to die in this war and leave all his friends, companions and loved one behind.

What when this would happen to Stan? Would Craig still be able to keep going or would he just give up? At the beginning he’d probably be too devastated to continue this war, he’d want to give in to the pain and just give up. But after that, once he understood that this wouldn’t bring back his special someone, he’d be angry. All he would be able to think about would be redemption for his lover and end this war for him. And he knew that sooner than later Kenny would feel like this, too, and to everything he could to fulfill Kyle’s wish of peace.

It was only a matter of time until the Cyborg hunt down the government and the monster that shot and killed Kyle. Kenny would find and destroy Leslie Meyers and of it was the last thing he did. And Craig would be happy to help him once he knew that Stan was safe.

The boy on top of him moved lightly, nuzzling against the former soldier’s throat and exhaling a long breath. Craig chuckled lightly and kissed the top of his skull, inhaling the scent of the other and he buried his nose in the black hair. When he heard heels on the floor, announcing that Wendy came looking for them, he didn’t move. He didn’t care to be found like that, he bet that Wendy had seen Kyle and Kenny doing worse than cuddle.

“Hey,” she said as she looked inside the room, a weak smile stretched over her lips for a second before it fell again. “We’re there and want to start. You coming?”

“Give us a minute,” replied Craig, already sitting up and waking Stan. The woman nodded and left them alone as Stan slowly awoke from his nap. “Come on, we’re there and we don’t want to let the others wait.” Stan nodded and stretched his arms over his head, sighing when he felt a few muscles pop. Together they stood up and walked to the cockpit hand in hand, their grip tightened when the joined the others.

Outside the dark space was lightened form a freshly exploded star, birthing smaller ones that flew past the ship. Some were only in the size of a baseball, other were as big as a car, but in between them as stardust. It was everywhere, shining out and enlightened the darkness that was normally spread out in space. Stan’s eyes shone as he watched the pieces fly by, his mouth agape at the beauty. “Amazing…” he muttered mostly to himself and tightened his hold on Craig, but let go shortly after when coldness embraced him. “But cold…”

“Yeah, it’s like that during star showers,” explained Craig, pulling his chullo over the black hair of his lover to warm him a bit. “When a star explodes its hot like nowhere else, but once this heat disappeared a strange coldness returns.” To show that he listened and understood, Stan moved his head up and down in a slow nod, staring out of the giant window.

Kenny stepped forward and pressed two buttons on the instrument panel before stepping back next to Craig. A soft tune started to play; guitars were heard at the beginning followed by a voice.

_Didn't know what time it was and the lights were low_ _  
I leaned back on my radio  
Some cat was layin' down some get it on rock 'n' roll, he said_

Shortly after it began, the hatch with Kyle’s leftovers opened and the space mercilessly pulled the ash out into the darkness. Craig recognized the song, Kenny and he were probably the only ones who did. It was old, even older than most of the oldest beings in this universe, but it was Kyle’s favorite song. It was the song he hummed when sitting next to Craig in the bar, the one he sang when he looked through his phone for new jobs, the song he showed him when they were younger and carefree.

_Then the loud sound did seem to fade_ _  
Came back like a slow voice on a wave of phase haze  
That weren't no D.J. that was hazy cosmic jive_

The group watched as the ashes of their companion, their friend, their lover mixed up with the shining stardust in a slow dance. And it looked, for a few seconds, like it didn’t want to get too far away from the ship. Like it was calling out to them, asking why they didn’t come with them on this new journey.

_There's a starman waiting in the sky_ _  
He'd like to come and meet us  
But he thinks he'd blow our minds_

As they watched, the cockpit got filled with sobs and sniffs, echoing through the whole ship and exposing the sadness that grew inside the crew. Kenny bit his lower lip and Craig watched as the blood started to run down his skin. The trembling hands of the Cyborg held onto each other, trying to calm down but not possible to.

_There's a starman waiting in the sky_ __  
He's told us not to blow it  
Cause he knows it's all worthwhile

Slowly, the ash outside faded as it turned one with the stars and space and even though Craig knew it wasn’t possible, that his exhausted and hurt mind only played tricks on him, he was sure that he saw Kyle. He saw him outside the ship, smiling towards them with that smile he gave when he wanted to tell him, that everything would be fine. And even when the ebony haired man’s vision blurred from the tears, he clearly saw his best friend out there. Kyle nodded softly towards him before he turned around and disappeared into the stars.

One after another left the cockpit, first Tweek, then Wendy and Stan last. They were tired from escaping the government and stirring the ship and the male noirette was still sickly. Only Craig and Kenny were left, staring out into the darkness as every star that was close to them was now miles away. “I wanted to marry him,” started Kenny, his blue eyes fixed on the darkness in front of them. “This was our song, you know? We would have danced to it on our wedding, that was our plan. That was the reason we didn’t dance on it before, because it was supposed to be something special on our wedding day… And now we listen to it on his funeral…”

Craig turned more to him, watching the trembling hands and the quivering lip of the Cyborg. He felt sorry for him and he knew that it would take some times until they got the old Kenny back, but everyone knew he’d make it. When not for himself, then for Kyle.

“But maybe in another life,” Kenny added after a brief pause. “Maybe there we’ll be able to dance to it.”

“That would be nice,” replied the former soldier with a soft voice.

“…Craig… I’m so sorry that you lost your best friend because of me…”

“What..? Kenny, what-“

“Just because I couldn’t see that this was a damn trap to lure us out!” Growled Kenny, clenching his fists at his side and tightening his jaw. “It’s my fault that we went to the city and that we got caught, if I had listened then Kyle would still be here with us!”

“That’s bullshit, Kenny,” argued the noirette with a deep frown. “It was Kyle’s decision to come long. He knew the danger, shit, he probably knew best of us that it was dangerous and yet he wanted to come along. Don’t beat yourself up about this!”

“I’ll never forget the horror in his eyes, the way he looked as our friends were hanged and the fear his green eyes screamed out as he died… I will destroy Leslie, I’ll kill her even before this war ends!”

“I’ll help you as much as possible,” promised Craig, “but we should concentrate on Kyle’s goal and that was peace for everyone who suffers because of this war.” Kenny looked at him and agreed with a firm nod before he sat down on one of the seats.

“…Could you leave me alone for a bit?”

Craig looked at him with worry and checked the room for anything dangerous. When he made sure there was nothing that could harm his friend, he turned around and left with a quiet ‘sure’. He came to the transportation room with the big latch and saw the other three sitting on the ground in a circle. “What will happen now?” Asked the noirette and sat down next to Stan who leaned against him.

“We will arrive at one of our main hideouts in a few days,” recounted Wendy as she had the attention of everyone around her. “There Bebe and the others should wait for us, most of our allied should be there or arrive a bit after us. From there on we will fly Stanley to our leader who will make sure to hide him somewhere safe. The exact plan will be give to you once we’re there and know the exact circumstances of everyone. But we will stay there for a bit so we can get our energy back and for Kenny to deal a bit more with his situation.”

“Alright,” Tweek said when Wendy finished and he leaned back with his arms crossed. “I have the feeling that our journey will come to an end soon.”

They traveled for a few more days, Kenny was silent most of the time and Craig and Stan never left each other’s side. Wendy announced that they arrived as the ship was landing on a planet the former soldier knew. It was a modern one with technology that was up to date and part of the UOU, at least that was what everyone thought. But Wendy explained that it was just a cover so the government wouldn’t bother them, underground and behind double walls, the rebellion used it as a hide out.

The latch of the ship opened and Tweek was the first one to leave it; he ran into the arms of David who was waiting outside for them. David hugged Tweek tightly and pressed his forehead against the one of his partner, relieve over both their faces. Bebe stood a few feet away from them and chuckled at their display of love before looking back at the hatch the others came out from. She waved at her friends and had a sympathetic smile on her lips as she saw Kenny.

The others joined her and she greeted each one with a tight hug. “We got rooms for all of you where you can rest until it’s time for dinner.” She turned around and led them for one of the bigger buildings that resembled a hotel. “Alright, all of you got a room, but I already guess that Stan and Craig would share one. So, please go and rest, okay? We’ll talk about the plan during dinner today and we need you all to be fully awake then.” They nodded before entering their rooms, Bebe went into one next to Craig’s with Wendy.

Inside, Craig put down the big of stuff he still had and sighed through his nose. The room was a typical hotel room with a bathroom; TV, bed, a small table with two chairs and shelves for clothes or other belongings. He walked over to Stan and pressed his own forehead against his, he smiled lightly as the rosy color tinted the noirette’s cheek. “Your fever is gone, that’s good. Let’s take a shower and then you can take another nap.”

“What about you?” Asked Stan, placing one of his hands on Craig’s chest and slowly stroking up and down. “Shouldn’t you sleep, too?”

“I slept on the ship before we arrived, don’t worry,” mentioned the taller one, “I just don’t want you to get sick again, it can easily return when you overdo it and I don’t know how your body works with your powers. You should use every chance of rest you can get.”

With a pout, Stanley agreed and took Craig’s hand in his, leading him to the bathroom. They didn’t waste their time and left their clothes on the floor to get under the hot water of the shower. Both exhaled heavily, enjoying the hot feeling that embraced their stiff bodies and washed away the dirt. Craig took some shampoo and started to massage it into his love’s hair; Stan smiled happily and hummed at the good feeling. When Craig was finished, he returned the favor and washes the former soldier’s hair as well.

After a while they started to wash the foam out of their hair and glanced at each other. Stan bit the inside of his cheek while watching Craig’s muscles move in the steamy shower. A bright blush crept over his face and he licked the corner of his mouth. Of course Craig noticed, he learned for years to feel when being watched and now it was an instinct to react to it. He turned around and smirked knowingly at the smaller one. “Like what you see?”

Immediately Stan’s light blush turned into a deep red one, making him look like a tomato that was ready to be picked. “I-I wasn’t- I mean I didn’t-! I was not staring at you or anything!”

“I never said that you stared at me,” deadpanned Craig with a raised brow and he laughed inwardly as he watched Stan realizing his mistake. It shouldn’t be possible, but the red got even darker and the embarrassment of the noirette even clearer. The former soldier snorted and moved closer to the other, caging him against the shower wall before catching his mouth on Stan’s.

Stan’s eyes widened in surprise, but as soon as he realized what was happening, he closed them again and dived into the kiss. He moved his arms up and wrapped them around Craig’s neck, pulling him closer and feel the darker skin on his pale one. When he felt a tongue run along his closed lips, a moan escaped him and Craig used the chance to invade his mouth. Their tongue collided and the touch forced out keening noises of Stan’s throat.

Only when both needed to catch their breath did Craig pull back, a thin thread of saliva connecting them. The smaller noirette panted heavily as he looked up at the other, his arms still around him. “That was amazing,” he mumbled against Craig’s lips, wanting another kiss like that.

“It was just a kiss,” commented Craig, pecking Stan’s lips while his hands wandered down his side. “You’ll get more, but not now, you need to rest.” A loud whine erupted form Stan’s throat, but Craig ignored it and switched off the water. Together they got out of the shower and tried themselves up before getting dressed in more comfortable clothes than usual. They walked back into the bedroom and Stan let himself fall into the blanket with a yawn.

Craig shook his head lightly and stroked through his hair, watching his lover relax under his hand. “I’ll go and check on Kenny while you rest,” announced the ebony haired man while Stan fell asleep. Once he was sure that he surly slept and wouldn’t wake up so soon, Craig got up and left his room. He only needed to walk to the next door and knocked against it; he had to wait for a few seconds until the door opened. Kenny stood in front of him in oversized clothes, his hair stood out in all directions, indicating that he just took a shower as well.

The Cyborg let his friend inside and while Kenny looked for a comb to take care of his hair, Craig sat down on the bed. “I know it’s hard for you at the moment, but please remember that we need you,” Said the noirette, watching the Cyborg. “You look exhausted and I know that you gave most of your food to Stan when we were still in space. And I know that you didn’t sleep as much as you should.”

“What is this, an investigation?” Kenny mocked in annoyance and leaned against a wall to face Craig.

“Kenny, you know that I’m serious, we’re still in war.”

“I know! Fuck, I know this but I still can’t believe it, Craig!” Kenny pushed away from the wall and threw his hands in the air. He started to pace through the room with his eyes on the ground with a deep scowl. “He’s just gone, I will sleep in this bed tonight and he won’t be next to me. I will never be able to kiss him again, hold him or feel him in my arms and I will never be able to tell him that I love him and hear it back. It feels like I never proved my love for him enough and now that he’s dead it’s too late…”

With worry and sadness in his eyes, Craig watched his friend falling apart again. When he wanted to say something, they heard another knock on the door and both stared at it for a second before Kenny walked over to open it. Craig couldn’t see who was standing in front of the door and only recognized Christophe and Gregory as they entered the room. “Hey,” Christophe greeted Craig, Gregory only waved weakly and together they sat down at the small table. “I noticed Kyle wasn’t with you all when you arrived. Did he get a new mission?”

Kenny and Craig glanced at each other without saying a word and the two guests noticed how tense the air around them grew. Gregory frowned and looked between the people in the room, his gaze halting at the Cyborg. “…Did something happen?”

The blonde looked down at his hands, his breath growing father and heavier as he thought back to what happened. “…Yes,” he started with a defeated breath, looking up at the brunette and blonde. “…We crashed on a planet and learned that four our people were caught and being executed. One night we broke inside and it was a trap. Thanks to distraction we could escape and get on Wendy’s ship but… Leslie was after us and she shot at Craig and Stan and…”

Kenny took a deep, shuddering breath as he thought back, seeing Kyle right in front of him. He tried to gulp down the lump that was forming in his throat and tried to hold back his tears. But then he looked up and saw Christophe’s wide eyes and they told him that he already knew what Kenny was about to say. And yet he wouldn’t want to believe it. “…Kyle pushed them away and got hit instead… H-He died a few minutes afterwards in my arms…”

“No,” Christophe shook his head in disbelieve, his mouth slightly open. Gregory was covering his own in shock and looked at his boyfriend worried. “…This can’t be. Kyle can’t-“ His stuttering was shut up as he saw how serious and heartbroken Kenny looked. The Cyborg wouldn’t joke about this, but that meant that he was telling the truth. And some people can’t deal with the hard truth. “Fuck… Fuck!” The brunette stood up and grabbed his hair, his eyes watering. “How- Why…! Why did you break in there?! Why was he with you?! He can’t be dead!”

When Kenny didn’t answer him and only looked at the floor, Christophe stormed out, Gregory followed him. Then silence fell over the room and the Cyborg sat down next to Craig on the bed. “Those two must have been close,” concluded Craig while looking at the closed door with a raised brow.

“Christophe had a crush on Kyle when he joined the rebellion, not for long, he ended up with Gregory after all, but they still became good friend,” Kenny explained with a low sigh, pushing the air out of his lungs slowly to calm down. “I’m surprised he didn’t know it already. Because it looked like Bebe already did…”

“Maybe they just arrived yesterday and I bet Wendy informed Bebe already,” suggested the noirette. “…Can I do something for you? To help you or…?”

“No,” The Cyborg shook his head, “thanks, but no. I just need some sleep and time alone.” Craig bit his lower lip lightly and got up from the bed. He walked to the door and turned around to say something to his friend, but Kenny already lay down and covered his form with the blanket. The former soldier sighed through his nose and left the room.

Craig entered his room and met Stan sitting on the bed; the noirette was playing with the blue chullo on his head, looking through news. When he noticed Craig’s return, he pulled it off and placed it on the bedside table. “You’re back!”

“I am,” said Craig while walking over to the bed and sitting down next to Stan. “How are you feeling?”

“Much better, I have the feeling all my energy is back and I can use my powers again,” replied Stan with a smile aimed at the other. “I read through the news a bit and learned that the UOU officially declared war with the rebellion…” The smiled vanished as soon as it appeared and Stan looked down at his hands with a light frown.

“Shit... I mean, everyone already knew that they hated us but it was never official…” Muttered Craig, he bit the inside of his mouth while thinking about what to say. “That means that we’ll probably be more attacked and start attacking soon.”

Stanley looked up at him and then down again, licking his lips before standing up and stepping in front of Craig. The noirette looked at Stan questionable, one eyebrow cocked. Slowly, Stan climbed on Craig’s lap, spreading his legs to straddle him. His cheeks were painted in a rosy color that reached the tip of his ears, but his eyes were focused on the person under him. Craig gulped lightly when Stan’s hands cupped his face, making sure that the ebony haired man couldn’t look away. “…That means that we have to separate soon?”

“Probably, yeah,” Craig moved his hands to Stan’s back, rucking his shirt up and over his skin. He felt a shiver running down the noirette’s back and rubbed between his shoulder blades. Stan’s breath shuddered before leaning closer, rubbing his nose against Craig’s, their lips barely touching. They were dangerously close, brushing against one another but not kissing. “We probably won’t get another chance to be this close,” purred the former soldier and Stan shifted on top of him; his hands left Craig’s face and instead squeezed his shoulders.

Craig lurched up and smashed his lips against Stan’s, using the gasp that escaped the smaller one’s throat to push his tongue inside. He licked his fleshy cave and flicked his tongue against the noirette’s, receiving a strangled noise. Stan, unconsciously, started to move his hip and humped against Craig’s clothed erection. Craig grunted lightly at the pressure that build up and moved his hip up. Stan’s breath hitched at the feeling and he pulled away from the heated kiss to release a keening sound.

The former soldier chuckled and grabbed Stan to push him down into the mattress. Stan squeaked surprised and blushed heavily while watching how Craig pulled his shirt off, revealing his tanned skin. He gulped heavily and hastily pulled his own shirt off as well, spreading his legs to invite his lover. Craig grinned lightly and moved on top if Stan, getting comfortable between his legs and pressing his boner against Stan’s. A low whine evoked from his chest when the man on top humped against him. Stan’s arms snaked around Craig’s neck, his fingers buried in his hair to pull him down against his neck.

Craig understood and mapped Stan’s throat with his open mouth, enjoying the mewl sounds he gained. At the junction of his neck and shoulder, the noirette started to suck and bite the soft skin and Stan wrapped his legs around Craig’s hip. Their movements against each other got faster, less control of their primal need that both wanted to satisfy. With a wet popping sound, Craig pulled back and checked out the obvious hickey he left. “Craig,” a raspy voice distracted him, Stan was looking at him with a pleaded gaze in his eyes.

The taller male pulled a bit away and slowly, only to tease his lover, opened the zipper of his trouser. With every new second Stan’s anticipation grew and his mouth was agape when Craig pulled out his hard length. Blue eyes stared at the erection and Stan moved his hip up to get rid of his own trouser, a wail of disapproval sounded when he didn’t get it off. Craig snickered and helped him by grabbing the hem of his pants and boxers and pulled them down. Stan’s own hard cock sprang free, pre-cum was already spilling out of the tip.

Craig resisted the urge to take him in his mouth, instead he moved back over his lover – boyfriend? – and started to nip at his earlobe. Two hands stroked over his back, feeling the skin and pushing Craig closer to the body beneath him. Their hips grinded together and their cocks slid against one another, forcing out moans and grunts from the couple. The taller noirette licked down to Stan’s nipple and flicked his tongue over the bud, causing Stan to throw his head into the pillow with a loud whimper. “Shit…!” He muttered out with a hoarse voice.

With a grin, the former soldier sucked the skin in his mouth, biting weakly while his hand played with the other nipple. He felt his love shift under him, moving his legs around him again and urging him on to move his hips. After a while Craig’s head moved down over the flat stomach and to his naval, circling it with his tongue. Stan arched his back in the soft pleasure, enjoying the teasing of his partner. Then his tongue traveled down, leaving behind a track of saliva and stopped under his stomach and above Stan’s groin.

When he peeked up at the noirette he saw blue eyes watching him, lazed over with tears of hunger and impatience. Craig kissed the soft skin and stroked with his hands over Stan’s side, then down his hips and grabbing him tightly. He could hear a rumbling of lust coming from the smaller one and before he would lose his mind, his kissed were pressed lover and lower until they reached the base of Stan’s cock. The erection was already coated with the pre-cum of the black haired man and Craig couldn’t resist licking over it.

As kissed where pressed onto the base of Stan’s length, feeling the vibration of Craig’s soft moans, the noirette bucked his hips up with a long whine. The room was filled with his noises as his lover’s tongue flicked over his tip and against the slit. More of the white juiced forced its way out and Craig happily sucked it into his mouth, tasting Stan more. One of Stan’s hands was clawing into the black hair of the man below him, while his other one was fisted into the pillow under him. “C-Craig…!” Choked the noirette out, panting loudly into the air, “I-I’m…!”

Craig pulled back before Stan could release and earned a high pitched whimper from his love. He chuckled lightly and leaned down to peck the corner of his mouth. Stan wanted more, turning his head to catch the former soldier’s lips but he was already gone. “Just a bit more, don’t worry. You’ll feel even better,” promised the yellow eyed man while sitting up, his hand moved down to his own length and started to pump fast. He could feel Stan watching him, withering in front of him and presenting his body to get Craig to hurry up.

But he took his time; they didn’t have lube so he had to use his own cum as lube. Once he was satisfied, he grabbed a pillow and placed it under Stan’s hip before spreading his legs a bit more. He used his coated fingers to spread Stan’s entrance open. First one finger, his lover groaned at the feeling, wiggling around to get used to it before letting it slide in deeper. A second one followed shortly after, scissoring him and stretching his opening slowly.

After a while he bent his fingers and touched the bundle of nerves that let Stan dissolve in pleasure. His eyes rolled back with his mouth wide open, moaning loudly through the room. Hopefully the walls were sound proofed. Craig grinned when Stan looked at him confused, his whole body was trembling and he arched his whole body when the noirette massaged his prostate. Stan pressed his feet against the mattress, pressing his hip up into the air and pleading noises erupted from him.

Craig pulled his fingers out; by now the smaller male was a panting mess; his hair stuck to his sweaty forehead and his hands were clawing into the pillow. With a soft chuckled the former soldier positioned himself over Stan, lining his erection up with the tight muscle. “Ready?” He asked with a husky voice, barely able to hold back to just dive into the person he loved so much. It felt like he had to wait years to get here, when in reality he only knew Stan for a few weeks. But he loved him; he was never sure about anything in his life, living from day to day, but he knew that he belonged to Stan.

When Stanley nodded slowly, pressing weakly against Craig’s cock, the noirette slowly sank into his body. Stan’s eyes widened at the feeling and he grabbed onto Craig’s back. They worked slowly on it, only sliding in inch after inch to make sure Stan wasn’t in too much pain. Once he was buried completely inside him, the ebony haired boy wiggled around to get comfortable and used to the feeling of being filled. A reassuring nod aimed to Craig and the taller man started to move, pulling halfway out and then snapping forward again. The movement drew noises of pleasure from Stan who clawed into Craig’s back.

With every new snap of his hips, Craig pulled out more only to dive in faster. His careful thrusts turned into pounding and slamming, invading the hot inside of Stan who fell apart under him. Craig could feel the marks that were scratched into his back, a bit of blood oozing out of them. But he didn’t care, because they were caused by Stan, they were prove for what they were doing in that moment. They showed how good the man felt and how deep their love for one another was. The yellow eyes of Craig never stopped watching Stan, how he withered under him, arched his body up against his and his mouth open with the saliva running out at the corners.

He was beautiful and perfect for Craig. The way his muscles moved under his skin, how his eyes rolled back every time his prostate was hit and the noises that he let out. Stan was worth being painted by the best artists that ever existed, he should be captured just like that; raw and begging for pleasure.

When Craig felt his orgasm building up, he grabbed Stan’s wrists and pushed them into the mattress, one hand moving up to intertwine his fingers with Stan’s. He leaned down and slipped his tongue against his lover’s, a sloppy open mouthed kiss catching the keening noises. His thrusts got erratic and their skin slapped together, roughing the softness up. A loud moan bursted out of Stan’s throat as he felt the tightness in his abdomen leaving while he came. Shockwaves of pleasure went through his body and a silent scream of ecstasy left him, his eyes rolled back.

Craig grunted loudly on top of him, feeling the electricity spasm through his groin before he released inside Stan. He kept thrusting, burying his relief deep inside the noirette under him. Heavy breath accompanied him as he felt his cock pulsing and slowly going soft. Without thinking about it, he let himself fall down on top of his loved one, an ‘oof’ coming from him. That they were connected by Stan’s jizz wasn’t important now, he just cared about being close to his love.

Both of them panted against the other’s skin and Craig buried his face in Stan’s neck, placing lazy kisses on his skin. Stan giggled lightly, moving a hand up to tangle his fingers in the messy hair of his partner. “This was amazing…” he mumbled into the black mass before tilting his head to give Craig better access to his throat. A low hum erupted from the former soldier, agreeing with him. “Can we stay like this for a bit…? I like you being… you know…”

Craig raised an eyebrow and leant up, looking at Stan. “Being inside you?” He asked with a curiousity. He got a shy nod from Stan and he cackled under his breath. “Alright, we can do this.” He bent forward and planted a kiss on his lover’s lips, Stan immediately kissing back. They kept kissing each other, holding one another and enjoying their closeness.

For just a few minutes they forgot about the war and all the problems, they found peace in each other’s arms.

It was a few hours later when they entered the cafeteria for dinner, both freshly showered to get rid of the sweat and smell of sex. Hand in hand they walked through the room, checking it out. The cafeteria looked like one at school, the only exception was that they didn’t have to get their food alone, no, it was already placed in front of the seats.

Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Kenny and Karen, the young woman was trying to comfort her brother, hugging him close and whispering in his ear. He felt bad for Kenny, but Karen was exactly the person he needed now. Craig knew he would be okay one day and he and his friends would do anything to help him.

“Craig!” A voice called him and when he turned around he saw Tricia walking towards them. Immediately she hugged him, forcing him to let go of Stan’s hand. “I heard from Karen what happened with Kyle, I’m so sorry,” she murmured near his ear, slowly pulling away to allow the other noirette to take his hand again. “How are you dealing?”

“Better than I thought,” admitted Craig, biting the corner of his lower lips for a second before a sigh could escape. “I think that all this will crash down on me once this is over, you know? But for now I can hold myself together, it’s Kenny I’m worried about.”

“Yeah, he must be heartbroken…” said the blonde woman, turning around to check on her friend’s brother. “We have to end this war before more people lose their loved ones.” She turned back to her brother with a slight frown on her face. “I feel bad about saying this but… I am glad that it wasn’t you. Kyle saved your life, didn’t he?” Craig answered with a slow nod. “Shit… I know I shouldn’t feel relieved but-“

“No, you’re my sister, it’s natural to feel like this,” Craig cut her off, feeling bad for saying this, too, but he probably would feel the same when it would have been Karen and Tricia in the situation. It hurt and he felt like an asshole, but it was like that. Tricia was his sister and Karen just a friend of him, blood was thicker than water. That didn’t mean that it didn’t hurt. “It’s okay, but let’s not talk about this. To respect Kyle.”

“Yes, you’re right. Sorry, shouldn’t have mentioned it,” the woman agreed. “I’ll go and sit down by them, are you joining us?”

The former soldier looked around and saw a table with a certain blonde sitting at it, alone. “No, we’ll sit down by Gregory.” Tricia moved her head in understanding and walked back over to Karen. Stan and Craig walked over to the almost empty table and sat down across from the Mecha pilot. “Hey,” he greeted Gregory who looked up from staring at the table.

“Hello,” he said back, giving them a weak smile as an attempt to hide his feelings. “Not sitting with your sister and friend?”

Craig shrugged at this. “I do sit with a friend, don’t I?” Gregory scoffed loudly and pulled the hair tie out of his long locks to tie them up new.

“How comes you consider me a friend?”

“Because I know that you’re more of a pretentious asshole than a real asshole,” replied the noirette immediately, earning a gasp form the man in front of him. “I don’t know why you try to pretend to be untouchable, probably because the war forced you to, but I met worse people than you. I worked in the Space Marine and learned to be like that, but other than you I also learned how to get rid of it.”

Gregory glared at him with narrowed eyes, his hair now up into a bun, an exaggerative sigh leaving his mouth. “Okay, I accept your friendship request, but only because I know most people hate me.” Stan snorted at that, leaning against his lover while they waited for their food to arrive.

“Where’s Christophe?” He asked and Gregory groaned into his hand that was supporting his head.

“He’s in our room, taking a shower,” answered the blonde, looking at Stan and Craig. He probably knew that Craig would ask a follow up question, so he decided to answer before it was voiced. “Christophe didn’t take the news of Kyle’s death too well… It actually broke his heart and I had to comfort him the last few hours. Seeing him like that was devastating for me, I’ve never seen him break down like this before…”

“Where you jealous?” Questioned Stan with a scowl on his face, he didn’t lean against Craig anymore and straightened up. “That he mourned Kyle’s death like that?”

“Of course not!” Replied Gregory, his voice raised slightly in fury of being asked something stupid like that. If looks could kill, Stan would have been dead within a second. “No, I felt pity and… and regret. I was always jealous of Kyle, how he was able to make Christophe fall for him with just a look while I tried for years. And because of that stupid jealousy I never took the time to actually get to know him. I thought once the war was over I could… But that won’t happen now… “ The blonde clenched his jaw and stretched his lips in a thin line. “Kyle was great, he had to be because everyone talked so highly of him, especially Christophe; and I never took the time to have an actual conversation with him. His death is the realization we all needed, the realization that this war is real and that people are dying.”

“You’re right,” Craig agreed with a serious tone. “I knew about this war since I fought in it for the government, but not even I took it serious. Because even though I knew the people I fought with, I never really cared about them. But now that’s different, not only Kyle, but also Chef and Al, they were my friends. Now they’re dead and I won’t be able to talk to them ever again. People are dying, people who only want to do the right thing and risk everything. This is war and we have to end it.”

Stan and Gregory nodded in agreement, their eyes serious. The tenseness in the air only vanished when a fourth person that down at the table. Christophe sighed lightly and ruffled through his still wet hair, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. “What were you all talking about that you look so serious?” He asked while exhaling the smoke, making sure it won’t get into any of their faces. They glanced to Gregory who shook his head slowly, making sure his boyfriend didn’t notice.

“Just the food, it looks good,” Stan lied, moving his arms to fill his empty plate with some of the bread that was laid out. The brunette shrugged and they all started to pile food on their plates, digging in while doing small talk.

After a few minutes Wendy, who was seated at the biggest table that stood on a small pedestal, stood up and cleared her throat. A microphone was placed in front of her so everyone in the room could hear her. When everyone got quiet she started to talk. “We want to use this dinner to explain how we will proceed further. All of us will stay here for a few days, within these days our allies should arrive; the aliens as well as the rest of the Wargorgs.” She glanced to Tweek and David who both nodded to show her that she was correct with it.

Then she continued as a big hologram appeared in front of every table. “These are news we got shortly after the others and I arrived, it’s an official declaration of war by The Unity Of The Universe. They’re getting ready to attack, but we’re, too. Bebe contacted all our hide outs and they start to prepare for the inevitable clash of our sides. We will split up into teams of three and our priority is to get Stanley to safety. The Mechas will accompany him and other teams to our leader who will hide him until the war is over.”

Mumbling started between the tables, some wondered who their actual leader was, others were confused why they needed the Mechas to get Stan there. Wendy coughed loudly to stop them from speculating and carried on. “Tomorrow morning you’ll all find a list at your doors to know who is in your team and what your exact mission is. Then you can start to prepare for it and get ready to either fight actively in the war in outer space or defend one of our hide outs. Thank you for listening and being with us, we appreciate all your help.”

With that she sat down and the people started to talk again, most avoided the topic of war and did small talk instead. Craig’s table stayed silent, the four already knew that they’d be part of Stan’s protection; no one would be stupid and try to separate Craig and Stan. And even when someone tried, Craig wouldn’t let them.

Once everyone was full of food and drinks, they made their ways back to their rooms. Stan was leaning against his partner, sighing in comfort as he fell on the bed. He snuggled into the pillow and let the other noirette undress him, enjoying not having to do anything. After a while he turned his head and watched Craig pulling off his own clothes and he blushed lightly. “Craig? Can I ask you a question?”

“As long as it’s nothing dumb,” retorted the taller one, putting his clothes neatly away to Stan’s.

“What are we?” Craig froze for a second; he didn’t saw that coming and slowly turned to face his… whatever Stan was. He looked at him and saw a curious but also scared look in Stan’s eyes, he was holding onto the pillow and his shoulders were tense. The older male walked over and sat down on the bed, stroking through the ebony colored hair of the other.

“I don’t know,” he admitted, his gaze meeting Stan’s. “But I’d like to think of you as my boyfriend, when that’s okay for you.”

The blue eyes of Stan brightened up when he heard those words and he shot up, wrapping his arms around his love. “That’s exactly what I was hoping for!” He almost yelled as he hugged the former soldier close to his body. “I love you, Craig and I want you as my boyfriend!”

Craig laughed under his breath and returned the hug, letting himself fall down on the bed with Stan in his arms. “I love you, too, idiot.” They grinned at each other and pressed their lips together in a tender kiss. It lasted just for a few seconds but those few seconds were worth millions of years for them. As they pulled away they cuddled closer, falling asleep in the warmth of the other.

It was the middle of the night when Craig was woken up from whimpers and mumbles. He slowly sat up and switched the light on his nightstand on, looking over to Stan who was squirming around in his sleep. Tears were slowly sliding down his cheeks and he trembled while repeatedly asking someone to stop, to not do something. Stan was caught in a nightmare and Craig shook him to free him from this torture. With a scream he awoke and sat up, pulling away from the hand on his shoulder and his back against the headboard of the bed.

The noirette was breathing heavily and fast, his eyes wide in terror and shock as he looked through the room. He tried to blink the memories of the nightmare away and shook his head weakly. “Stan…?” Craig said with a soft voice, slowly moving closer to him in an attempt not to scare him even more. “It was just a nightmare, it’s okay.”

“N-No, no it’s not!” Stan argued loudly, the tears still running down his wet cheeks and sweat covered his forehead. “I-I saw them, Craig! A group of people who forced me to go with them… O-One of them had black hair and a mu-mustache… I knew him, Craig, I remember his face and some of the others! I begged them not to do this, to have mercy and that I could control me…! But the man stared at me like I was a disspointment to them and… a-and…”

“And what, Stan?” Pressed Craig, banned into the story he got to hear. Those had to be memories of his life before he was frozen into the ice. They had to.

“….And I called him Dad… That man was my father…” Muttered Stan with wide eyes, the horror he felt was mirrored in them. “They locked me into an ice cave because they were scared of me…!” Craig frowned lightly and slowly took his boyfriend in his arms, stroking over his back soothingly. Stan kept crying into his shoulder, moving one hand up to grab at his skull. “My head hurts so much… It feels like it’s going to explode…”

“Shhh, this will pass,” promised Craig, moving on hand up to stroke through the black mass of unmade hair. He rocked Stan back and forth in an attempt to calm the crying man down, but failed as Stan kept weeping in his arms. They heard a knock and Craig looked to the door while holding his boyfriend a bit closer. “Come in.”

Behind the door stood Kenny, Bebe and Wendy, all of them with a worried look on their faces. Slowly they entered the room, closing the door behind them as the stood in a row in front of the bed. “We heard a scream,” Bebe stated, her hands hanging loosely by her side. “What happened…?”

Stan gently pulled away from Craig, making sure not to move too fast in order to not worsen his headache. He stared at his friend with large eyes that were focused on nothing in particular, simply staring at nothingness. With a dry throat he opened his mouth; his voice was hoarse as he spoke the words they waited for a long time. “I finally remember something from my past, I remember my family.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that was the sixth chapter of Till The Last Starlight!
> 
> None of the Star Showers is scientific true; I literally just thought something up that would fit the scene! Did anyone find the connection to ‘Zum Laichen Und Sterben Zieh’n Die Lachse Den Fluss Hinauf’ and understood my little message? :x 
> 
> We’re getting closer to the end! I think it will be three more chapters and an Epilogue, and then the Story will be finished! (I hope, I never planned for it to be this long.) The names of the chapter are already set and I think that will help me not to overdo it and keep the number of planned chapter up.
> 
> It’s been a while since I wrote smut, so please excuse me when it isn’t as good as you hoped it would be! I tried my best, I promise. 
> 
> Is it weird that I always describe Stan as ‘boy’ even though he looks like he’s twenty(and is even older)?? It always feels weird calling him man, but I don’t know why??? It’s like, when I call my male friends ‘boy’ or ‘boi’, (we’re all 21-23 years) and that’s why I’m so used to it, I think. 
> 
> Fun Fact: It took so long for Bebe, Wendy and Kenny to enter the room after the scream, because they were standing outside debating if they should enter or not. While Wendy was sure it was something serious, Bebe and Kenny both thought they were having sex and it was a scream in delight. 
> 
> [I made a Spotify-Playlist for TTLS!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4Mt09yxWtYThyqbs5IUdJc)  
> Got some song ideas? Send me an ask on tumblr! The first song is the one that inspired me to write the fanfiction, even though it wasn’t planned to be that dark and angsty when I got the idea. 
> 
> [Commissions are open!](https://natari-55.tumblr.com/post/629331436009324544/writing-commissions-are-open)  
> [My Tumblr!](https://natari-55.tumblr.com/)  
> [Buy Me A Ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/natari) and send me a prompt/Character/ship and I’ll write you a ~500(+) words One Shot, when you want. 
> 
> Stay tuned!
> 
> Comments are always appreciated and a big motivation for every writer


	7. Icarus' Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Character Death, Explosion 
> 
> Not Beta-Read, so please excuse small errors!

It was a sunny day, people were walking around in the little mountain town of the planet later known as Proxima Centauri b. But for the native people of the planet, the ones who have lived there hundreds of years before humanity was ready to travel to space, it was known as Uqwvj Rctm. It was an easy folk, living day in and day out to survive in their town surrounded by mountain and forests.

Stan Marsh was ten years old when it happened, he was playing with one of his toys when his sister called Shelly came running towards him. Anger was written all over her face and she held up a destroyed brush, knowing that her brother accidentally broke it. Their parents were sitting in the living room, watching as their daughter stomped towards their son. “Shelly, what’s wrong?” The older woman known as Sharon asked.

“That turd broke my brush even though I told him to stay away from my stuff!” The girl yelled, lifting her arm to throw the broken object at her brother. And as she let go and it started to fly through the air, Stan flinched together, scared to be hit. He only opened his eyes when he heard his parents gasp loudly and his mouth fell agape as he saw what happened.

His sister and the broken brush were frozen in time, they didn’t move and the pieces of the brush were frozen in air. The large eyes of the young Stan were staring up at Shelly and slowly he stood up before his father’s voice erupted in an angry and slightly scared tone. “Stanley! What did you do?!”

“I-I don’t know…!” Stammered the ebony haired boy out, stepping away from his still frozen sister.

“Undo it, Stan!” Sharon begged, standing up and stepping closer to her daughter in shock. She touched her but fast pulled away again after feeling how cold she was. “Unfreeze your sister!”

“And her brush!” Randy added fast, earning an annoyed look from his wife.

“I’m trying!” Yelled the boy out, concentrating and imagining his sister moving again and finally after a few more minutes of yelling, she unfroze. The girl continued her movement and the brush continued to fly through the air. Confused, Shelly looked around, because for her no time has passed and yet her brother and parents weren’t on their former spots anymore.

“D-Did you guys just teleport?!” The girl shouted, taking a few steps away.

Sharon and Randy glanced at each other before they looked at Stan; the boy was trembling and stared at the broken brush on the ground. He didn’t understand what was going on and what was happening, but neither did anyone else to the room. The boy wasn’t surprised when his family forced him to go to a doctor to ask for advice of their situation. And from then on, over the course of some days, Stan had to go through tests to check what was going on.

The results didn’t help, but they were able to trigger his powers again after putting him under immense emotional stress. They told him that his parents left him in the hospital, because they were scared of him and within a second, the man in front of him froze. All the scientists and doctors were amazed but also concerned. What could this boy do to their peaceful little mountain town, when he got angry?

They whispered to each other, right in front of Stanley and the black haired boy’s fear kept rising. At some point it was enough to trigger his third eye to open and make the complete room freeze in time. The scientists that were watching from the room next door witnessed how Stan’s eyes shone in a soft blue, almost white, light and how the third eye on his forehead was shown. As soon as it calmed down and Stan got almost unconscious, they dragged him out of the room and called his parents.

They explained, that they have never seen something like this before and that it could be dangerous, since they don’t know what else he could do. Scared of the power, they advised the Marshs to keep their son somewhere away from the citizen, to make sure he wouldn’t ever be a threat. It could be possible that he’d gain more power over time, and no one wanted this.

So Randy, head of the family, decided to hide Stan in their basement, he build his bed up, gave him some more furniture as well as his toys and made sure the little bathroom was good to use. They’d bring him food and make sure he had everything he needed, but every time they left him alone they made sure to lock the door. Like that they protected the town as well as Stan, because he didn’t get in any stressed situation like this.

Of course he felt lonely, because most of his family didn’t spend time with him in the basement, they had a life up there. Randy had work and when he wasn’t there, he was on the couch to drink a beer, he’d come to Stan maybe two times a week. Sharon didn’t have to go to work, but she took care of the house and family, meaning that she was almost always the one who brought the food. She was also the one family member who spent most time with her Son, at least an hour each day, most of the time more. Shelly had school and her friends, so she spent two hour with him for three days each week, Stan could decide the days.

And yet it wasn’t enough, every hour alone felt like an eternity for the ebony haired male. There was no window and only artificial light, his father was too stingy for lamps that were like daylight. Not to mention that it got pretty cold in the winter, but thanks to blanket that was easy to get through. The positive aspect of being alone so much was that Stan had plenty of time to train his powers and tried controlling them. Sometimes, when he felt really desperate, he would even freeze one of his family members so they’d be in the room longer. No one ever noticed something and so he kept doing it, only to not be alone.

It was Stan’s twenties birthday when it happened, a day he waited so long for. Randy didn’t lock the door on his way back, they ate some cake and when Sharon called for him, he must have forgotten it in his hurry. Of course Stan used the chance to get out of the basement; a small walk around the town wouldn’t hurt anyone. So he sneaked up the stairs and made sure no one saw him while leaving, closing the door as silently as possible.

Stan almost hesitated to take the first step away from the house, but soon found himself running down the street. He laughed to himself and enjoyed the sun prickling on his skin and the fresh air spreading in his lungs. It felt so good, so free and the weird looks he got form the other people were easily ignored by the man. After running for a while he stopped at a pond, taking deep breathes to regain some air. That was when two people his age came walking up to him, their gazes were curious and a bit of mischief could be found in them.

“Who are you?” One of them asked, he had brown hair and wore a light blue shirt. His eyebrow was pulled up in question as he looked Stan up and down in wonder. “We’ve never seen you here before, kinda gay of you.”

“Hehe, yeah gay,” the other chuckled in an agreeing voice, his shoulders shaking lightly.

“Ehm,” croaked Stan out, his voice a bit hoarse from the running, “My name is Stan and I’m new here…” Lied the ebony haired man, knowing that this was ridicules because they were the only people on this planet.

“Oh, that’s gay,” chuckled the two boys again, glancing at each other in amusement. It seemed like they didn’t really care that it was a lie, or they simply didn’t notice it. “My name’s Bill Allen and that’s my best buddy Fosse McDonald,” explained the brunette, pointing at his friend who was almost bald, just a few strands were growing out of his skin.

“Hello!” Stan beamed; those were the first people he spoke to who weren’t his family since ten years.

“So you’re new?” Asked Fosse, standing close to his friend.

“Yeah.”

“Then we have to show you something!” The man declared and both grabbed one of Stan’s wrists to pull him along. With a bit of uneasiness, the black haired man followed, biting his lower lip as he looked up at the sun. He was gone for a while now, surly his family already noticed his absent, so they should hurry up.

After walking for a while, they came to a cave in one of the mountains. Stan heard them whisper ‘That’s so gay’ to each other while chuckling under their breaths as they entered. He looked around and his blue eyes fell on drawing on the wall, there was a man with three glowing eyes. The black haired man froze when he saw this and his new friends noticed it.

“It’s from a prophecy,” Fosse told him, pointing at different drawings and words written in their language, one that they rarely used but everyone understood. “One our ancestors had foreseen thousands of years before us.”

_When the three and six eyed meet,  
One with time and one with Space,  
And Their hearts will drum in one beat,  
Then there won’t be grace._

_The universe will be destroyed,  
Left behind will only be a void._

At the mention of a three eyed person and time, Stan froze with wide eyes, staring at the words. He started to tremble heavily and wondered if that was the real reason the scientists wanted him locked away. What when he was the person from the prophecy? And it sounded like he’d bring death and destruction to the universe.

“People tell that those two people or creatures or whatever, can stop time and teleport through space,” mentioned Bill, looking over the different drawings on the wall. There was one with two people facing each other, one with a third eye on his forehead, another one with an eye each over and under the usual pair. Both seemed to have black hair and all eyes were glowing. “And that they’ll destroy the universe when they find each other, pretty gay.” Bill chuckled.

Fosse suddenly gasped loudly, forcing Stan around by his shoulder and against the wall. His hand moved up to his forehead, stroking away the hair and both men looked shocked. “Those birthmarks…” Fosse mumbled, then pulling away from the other like he got burned by his skin. “That looks like a closed eye!”

“N-No…!” Stan yelled out, taking a step forward only for the others to take two back.

“You’re the one from the prophecy!” Bill shouted out, he grabbed his friend by the hand and ran away. “We have to warn the others!”

“No!” The black haired man followed them, panic flood over him when he couldn’t reach them. When they arrived in the town, his distress and anxiety went through the roof, Bill and Fosse kept shouting about him and people started looking. In his panic, Stan used his power and froze the two in time, because he really wanted them to be quiet. What he didn’t think about was that most were watching him and now they saw him freezing the two in time.

Loud gasps and cries of fear cut through the air and looks of anger and shock were aimed at Stan, the man hugged himself as the townspeople got closer to him. They started to call him monster, beast or creature of destruction. And it only got worse when his family found them; Sharon immediately went to hug her son, trying to help him out.

“Is that your son?!”

“Wait, is that Stanley?!”

“But you told us he died in an accident!”

“There was a funeral!”

“Did you know he was the one from the prophecy?!”

“You need to get rid of him!”

The people kept screaming, demanding the family to take Stan away, to kill him because he was too dangerous. Sharon and Shelly told them it was nonsense, that he was just a person who wanted a normal life. And then there was Randy.

“I mean, he surly is the person from the prophecy,” the man threw in, scratching the back of his head as the others stared at him in anger. When he got a warning look of his wive, he tensed up and cleared his throat. “But we won’t kill our son, we’re not monsters! No, instead we will lock him up in one of the ice caves where he can start a new life without endangering us!”

“Randy! He won’t survive in this cold and without food or anything!” Sharon yelled, standing in front of her son in a protective way.

“Sharon, I’m making a deal here! He- He is dangerous!” The man with the mustache shouted out, pointing past Sharon at his own son. “One day he’ll be the cause of our destruction and do you really want this? I know it hurts because we made him, he’s our flesh and blood, but he’ll KILL US! I only think about what’s best for our town.”

“No, you were always scared of him,” Shelly accused, a deep frown on her face as she talked to her father. “You never wanted to visit him and left as soon as possible, because you were scared of the prophecy! And now you want to use it to get rid of him!”

“That’s not true! It’s his own fault for sneaking out and using his powers! The people are scared, I wanna help them!” Randy argued, trying to save himself from the blaming looks of his family.

That was when Stan realized it. “…You didn’t lock the door on purpose,” the man whispered, first to himself and then louder for the others to hear. “You didn’t lock it in the hope that I’d go away and be send away. You planned this…”

“Oh, haha. Fuck you!” Said Randy, “I did nothing like that, I just forgot in a hurry! It’s your own fault for running away, Stanley, now you need to pay the price.” The people around him cheered loudly and started to grab the two women and Stan, pulling them along. Together they walked along a mountain, the temperature falling rapidity as they came near an ice cave. Stan started to struggle, he thought about using his powers but he didn’t know if he was able to freeze everyone and that maybe would make it worse. In the end, his whole family could be banished because of him and he didn’t want his mother and sister to suffer.

“Randy, stop it!” Sharon requested, she was held by two men so she wouldn’t interfere.

“Dad, please,” Stanley started to beg, tears gathering in his eyes and slowly starting to run down his cheek. “Please don’t do this. I will control it, I-I will learn how to do it!”

“No Stanley, it’s just too dangerous,” Randy denied, shaking his head in disapproval. ”Now take off your clothes as a sign of disgrace. “ His son stared at him before slowly starting to undress, to his luck he was allowed to keep his underpants on, but the rest were taken away from him. “Those will be burned later,” clarified Randy. The eyes of the man were filled with disappointment before he pushed him into the icy cave. Together the villagers pushed a large boulder in front of the entrance to the cave, locking Stan up.

Stan punched against the stone, crying for help as the cold flew over his body. In a poor attempt to warm him up, he hugged himself and rubbed his arms, he was trembling horribly and was exhausted from the day. He also was thirsty and he knew he could just try to use the ice and drink form it, but he didn’t want to cool down his body even more. Instead of leaning against the icy walls, he leaned against the stone, slowly sliding to the ground. And even though Stan knew he shouldn’t fall asleep, he couldn’t stop the darkness that grew bigger at the corner of his visions.

Soon, he fell into a deep sleep and he wouldn’t wake up for the next hundreds of years.

Stan was breathing heavily in his lover’s arms, tears streamed down his face as he retold everything he remembered. The Town he grew up, his power, his basement and his family, the way he was locked away and abandoned in this cave. Suddenly they had answers to questions that they asked since the beginning of their journey, but there were also new questions. Craig was trying to calm the man in his arms down, who was slowly falling apart. He kissed Stan’s forehead and kept whispering encouraging words in his ear, mentioning Stripe and their future once the war was over.

Bebe, Kenny and Wendy were watching them, their eyes large and mouths agape after hearing the story. After pulling herself together and escaped the shock, she sat down at the corner of the bed and looked at Stan with pity in her eyes. “Stan… You won’t be the cause to destroy the universe. You’ll live peacefully once the war is over. Till then, we will protect you, maybe our leader can make sure that you won’t face strangers, so you wouldn’t be able to meet that person with six eyes.”

“Wh-What when your leader knows the prophecy?” Stan asked, looking at the woman. “What when that is the actual reason he wants to hide me? Just like my family did?!”

Craig looked down at Stan and thought about his words. Maybe it was true, Wendy explained that the leader knew about this and he knew about Stan’s power before anyone else did. It was suspicious, how could he know all this about the boy without ever meeting him? He glanced to Wendy with a serious look, demanding some answers from her.

“That’s ridicules, our leader doesn’t know the exact answer to all of this either, they just did a lot of research,” she defended her leader.

“Stanley,” Bebe started, sitting down next to her girlfriend and placing one of her hands on Stan’s knee. “Don’t be scared of your powers. They’re not evil or dangerous, they can be used for good things, there’s no need to be scared of them. Actually, I think they’re pretty neat. I’d love to freeze time so I could get ready in the morning in peace to look dapper!” She smiled softly at him when he chuckled at this. “Those people did that to you, because they didn’t take the time to listen and understand. They were overtaken by their fear of a stupid prophecy that ain’t going to happen. But we are not, we are your friends and you are important to us.”

The black haired male slowly calmed down, sniffing occasionally and rubbing his eyes free from the tears. After he stopped trembling and confirmed that he was alright, the others went back to their rooms to sleep. Craig looked at his boyfriend and slowly pulled him back down on the bed and into his arms and wrapped the blanket around their bodies.

“Don’t be scared of that dumb prophecy,” he mumbled into Stan’s hair, stroking over his side in a calm motion. “Those are just lies adult made up to scare the younger people, I bet there are thousands more to find.”

Stan looked into Craig’s eyes and a smug look grew on his face. “It’s cute when you try to cheer me up.”

Craig’s face turned red at this comment but he tried to hide it with a neutral expression. “It’s nothing, now go to sleep,” he grumbled out, looking away before closing his eyes. Next to him he could hear Stan chuckle, before he snuggled closer to him. After a few seconds, both their breaths grew shallow as they fell asleep.

The next day they were standing at the landing field when the ships of Red and the rest of the Wargorgs arrived. Craig watched Tweek and David holding each other close and pressing their foreheads together again, whispering to each other before welcoming their people. He glanced a Stan who was watching the Aliens coming out from their ships; red greeted Wendy and talked to her. When Gary walked towards him in his human form, the black haired man grumbled under his breath.

“Stan! Nice seeing you again!” The blonde Alien greeted once he arrived in front of them, a friendly smile on his face. “I actually want to talk to you, alone.”

At that, Craig wrapped one of his arms around Stan’s waist in a possessive way, narrowing his eyes at Gary. “Piss off,” was spat out of his mouth, every word filled with venom to scare the other away. The blonde glared back at him before he looked at Stan, a smile growing back on his lips and it seemed like he was glowing.

“Stan, it’s your very own decision and I have the feeling we need to talk about something,” the blonde said, his voice void of anger as he talked to the other.

“Alright,” Stan said and his boyfriend looked at him in shock.

“What??” Craig almost yelled out, eyes wide on his lover.

“It’s alright, we really need to talk,” the other said while looking up to Craig, his face set in determination. “Don’t worry, nothing will happen. It’s just talking and I think even when he’d be so stupid and try something, I could just freeze him in time.”

The former soldier looked at him with displease but let go of him, letting him walk away with Gary. He watched them standing near one of the ships, out of his hearing range but in his view, a small almost invisible pout was on his lips. When he heard laughter he turned slightly around, seeing Kenny walking towards him with a wide grin. “Dude, I can sense your jealousy from miles away,” the blonde snickered, coming to a stop next to his friend.

“I don’t like Gary,” growled Craig out, crossing his arms in front of his chest, looking like a pouting child.

“Of course not, I get you there,” Kenny commented, watching Gary and Stan, too. “I didn’t like Christophe at the beginning either, he always flirted with him, bold asshole.” The black haired man chuckled lightly, nodding in agreement. “But well, it be like that sometimes. I couldn’t stop them from being friends or anything, so I dealt with it. By the way, were you two by Stripe yet? Karen and Tricia have him in their room.”

“No, I’ll go there later with Stan, we did see them yesterday, though.”

“Ah, okay. I’m so glad that they’re finally together,” the Cyborg sighed out, “They were dancing around each other for so long.”

Craig kept staring at Stan before his brain was able to process this information and yanked around with wide eyes. “They what?!”

The blonde stared at his friend before gasping loudly. “Oh my God, did I just pull your sister out of the closet?!”

“Wha-No! I already knew she liked women but I didn’t know she liked Karen!”

“Why? Something wrong with Karen?!”

“NO! But I thought they were friends, not more!”

“Well, then you clearly never watched them when they were together.”

“WHY SHOULD I DO THAT?!” Craig asked in dismay, one eyebrow raised at Kenny.

“Whatever, forget it, we probably shouldn’t talk about it,” Kenny shook his head and then looked around, looking for something else to talk about. He snorted when his eyes fell on David and Tweek. “Look at them, they have hickeys.” Craig looked over this his friends and snorted as well, seeing the big marks on their skins, wearing them proudly and showing off.

“Idiots,” mumbled the former soldier with a chuckle in his voice, glad to see that Tweek was doing better after just a night with his partner. He knew that the bond between two Wargorgs was special and pretty strong, once they found a partner; they most likely spend their whole life with them. That’s why so many waited until they were older and already spent most of their lives with them until they turned into lovers. “Say… Do you think one day you will be able to fall in lo-“

“No,” the blonde cut him off, “I won’t fall in love again. I found my soul mate and I lost him, there will only be disappointments afterwards.” With a weak nod, Craig agreed and wondered when Kenny turned from the dorky idiot to the wise friend.

When Stan came walking back to them, it was without Gary, the alien left to return to the Queen’s side. The boy smiled at him and got back to his side, immediately accepting the hand that was held up to him. “What did he want?” Asked Craig as he looked him.

With a wave of his hand, Stan explained that he just wanted to make sure it wouldn’t get awkward and they could stay friends. And even though Craig wasn’t really happy with this, he accepted it; it wasn’t his right to say no. After making sure that every ship arrived and landed safely, the two made their way to Tricia and Karen to visit their beloved guinea pig.

The moment they entered the room of the two girls, Stan held Stripe in his arms, cuddling him and praising how cute he was. Of course the little pet enjoyed the attention he got and ate all the treats he received from the boy, squeaking happily. Craig held him, too, stroking over his head and cuddling him before returning him to Stan and Karen. The black haired man was glad to see the rodent so happy and healthy, Karen and Tricia took good care of him.

“You two did well,” he praised his sister, standing a bit away from the bed to talk to her, his eyes on the bed to watch Stripe running around on his boyfriend’s lap.

Tricia huffed loudly; her eyes were on Stripe as well, sometimes glancing over to Karen. “Of course we did, you forgot that I often looked after your former Stripes? I know how to take care of them and Karen was a great help, she loves Stripe a lot. It will make her sad when we have to give him back.”

“But not yet, once the war is over,” said Craig, turning to Tricia to talk to her directly and more privately. “What was written on your letter this morning?” The black haired man decided not to mention what Kenny told him, it was Tricia’s decision to tell him or not.

Tricia looked at him for a second to remember what she read, then made a soft ‘aaah’ sound. “Karen, I and someone with the name Ike are in a team and we’ll be sent to the front. First in our ship and when needed on a planet, we were chosen because I’m good in flying and the three of us are good in combat. What about you?”

Craig took a deep breath, trying to push the images of his little sister in the middle of a war away. “I’ll be in a team with Stan and Kenny, obviously. We three will fly with another team, which is Bebe, Wendy and Tweek, to the main base. The Mecha will come with us for extra protection, even though I think one would be enough. They should use the other to help you guys out instead.”

“We will be fine, everyone knows that Stan is the number one priority,” the young woman explained, glancing over to the man before turning her gaze back to her brother. “And once he’s safe you’ll return to us to help, won’t you?”

“Yeah, that’s the plan,” confirmed Craig, nodding shortly before sighing. “Still, be careful, alright?”

“I’m always careful, learned that from you,” she answered with a smirk, gaining a soft chuckle from him. The two siblings turned around and watched their partners playing with the animal, both chuckling amused.

The night before the mission started, the group for Stan’s protection loaded their ships with needed supplies. Water, food, but most importantly weapons to fight against their enemies, as well as needed gear. Even Christophe and Gregory got some, in case they’d need to leave their Mechas behind, hopefully that wouldn’t happen. Once everything was placed where it belonged, they got into a circle to talk about the plans.

“Alright, we will leave tomorrow morning around 6 am and immedatly use two hyperjumps so that we will arrive at the base within a day. Bebe and I already put the coordinates into your ships for those jumps, afterwards all you need to do is follow us,” Wendy explained, looking around to make sure everyone understood the plan. “We will lead you to the base where we will meet our leader, we will land on the planet and Christophe and Gregory will stay in space, making sure no one gets to us. It should be unusual to be found, though, because no one knows the way except me and a few others, so then we had to be followed. But just in case, you know?”

The others nodded along, knowing that once they left this planet, the real fight would start and there would be no way back. They said good night; ready to fight in a war where no one knew the outcome of. Everyone made sure to say good bye to their loved ones that night, promising to meet again once all this was over. Some knew it were empty promises, it was almost impossible for all of them to survive such a war, but no one wanted to think about this. All they wanted was peace, for the people who died and the people who were to be born in the future. They were doing it for them.

When they took off from the planet, it was still dark but that darkness was nothing compared to the one from space. The ship of Wendy was a bit ahead from them and the Mechas were flying at each side of Craig’s ship. And shortly after being in space, they made the jumps, two within a few minutes until they were deep into Space. They flew fast and after a few more minutes, stopped in front of a dark nebula.

The dark cloud slowly moved like water, looking innocent and yet sinister enough to be feared by many. Both ships switched their lights on, hoping it would help enough that they wouldn’t get lost.

 _“Alright guys,”_ Wendy’s voice came through the speakers in the ship, getting Stan’s, Kenny’s and Craig’s attention immediately. _“Stay as close as possible and look out for rocks and other stuff.”_

“Other stuff?” Kenny asked, an eyebrow raised at the speaker like Wendy could see him through them. “What other stuff?”

 _“Let’s hope we won’t find out!”_ Bebe cheered, sounding a bit scared but trying to hide it by speaking louder than usual. The team looked at each other, Stan looked a bit more nervous than the other two, but that was probably because he had barely seen any of the creatures that lived in space. _“Alright guys, let’s rock this!”_ And just like that Craig steered the ship inside the dark cloud, following the others. Thanks to the lights of the Mecha’s they were able to see more than they usually could.

“I don’t feel so good about this…” Mumbled Stan, sliding a bit closer to Craig who was navigating the ship, making sure not to lose the others. His blue eyes widened lightly when he saw a scaly tail between the fogs, vanishing only a second after noticing. He swallowed heavily and kept looking around; Kenny wasn’t really interested and instead checked something on a small device. “Kenny, what are you doing?”

The blonde looked up with a ‘hm?’ before understanding what Stan wanted from him. “Oh, I’m just locating Leslie’s current whereabouts; she seemed to be in a complete other Galaxy at the moment.”

“Oh, that’s good, isn’t it?” Asked the ebony haired man, scowling at the frown Kenny was wearing on his face. “When she’s far away she isn’t on our tail, so we are safe from her, right?”

“Yeah, sure but… I want to hunt her down and seeing that she’s so far away from the war means I will only be able to do this after the war,” explained the Cyborg, switching off the device before slugging down in his seat with a long sigh.

“You want to hunt her down? But she’s dangerous!”

“I know that, Stanny, but I want her gone,” mumbled the Cyborg, crossing his arms in front of his chest and watching the nebula outside. “She took away the most important person in my life, she doesn’t deserve to keep wandering around.” Stan’s scowl deepened at this, but when he opened his mouth to answer, it suddenly got brighter around them. “…What the fuck..?” Mumbled Kenny, straightening back up in his seat with wide eyes, staring out of the cockpit.

Craig was stunned silent as he saw a red planet in front of them, it looked dangerous and one of the planets where it would be impossible to live on. To their surprise, that was where they were heading for, landing right next to Wendy’s ship. The three passengers got out and met the others outside; Stan was holding Craig’s hand as they looked around.

“Welcome on inferos-999!” Wendy declared, holding her arms out to gesture at the landscape around them. Just as Craig had assumed, the planet was covered in red sand and in the ears were holes where red steam shot out. It looked hot and the former soldier strengthened his hold on his boyfriend’s and, making sure he wouldn’t get near those things.

“And that’s the planet the leader lives on?” Asked Craig with a raised eyebrow, his eyes finding Wendy again after looking over the landscape. “Looks pretty dead here.”

“They don’t live on the surface,” the woman replied, winking at him before turning around. She waved a hand to gesture them to follow her and so they did. After just a few steps they came to a secret cave that was hidden under a dune. Wendy walked up to the big doors that were made in a texture that reminded of the sand, hiding it good enough to not be found from afar. She slowly opened one of the two doors after pressing on a hidden button and they entered.

The insides of the caves were made of metal and the air inside was much clearer and colder than the outside air. That was how the leader could survive on this planet and it was a good hideout. With the Dark Nebula as a natural shield that no one could look through and didn’t want to fly through and the dead looking planet, no one would come to the idea that this planet was the base of one of the biggest enemy of the Government.

Together the six walked through a tunnel, arriving at another door that Wendy opened for them, letting everyone enter before following. She closed the door behind her and they stood in a row, in front of him was a seat, the back turned to them. “Sir, we arrived,” Wendy announced and the chair turned around, revealing a man in it. His hair was pitch black and his eyes seemed almost crimson, red like blood. A Smile was on his face and stubbles ran along his jawline and over his lips, leading to a small beard at the chin.

“Wendy!” The man cheered, opening his arms lightly in a welcoming gesture. “And I see everyone arrived safely?”

“Yes, everyone I told you about is here,” answered the woman with a nod, she stood straight and her face was blank.

“Great, good work!” He stood up and took a few steps towards the group. The man was wearing a black suit with a dark red button up under it and white gloves covered his hands. “Welcome to my hide out and welcome to the rebellion, dears. As you may know, I am the man who started this revolution against The Unity Of The Universe, after seeing how they treated a lot of races and creatures, I was sick of them. We started as a small group and now look where we stand!” His arms swung up, gesturing around like he’d wanted to show something off, probably the fact that they were in the middle of a war.

“…So, who are you?” Kenny suddenly spoke up, earning a glare from Wendy who elbowed him in his rips, earning an ‘oof’ from the Cyborg.

“Oh, where are my manners?” Asked the leader himself, shaking his head in disapproval after realizing how impolite his behavior was. “My name is Damien Thorn, proud leader of the rebellion and bringer of equality.” Damien smiled at them and looked through the people, his eyes falling on Stan and haltering there. “And you must be Stan, right? You resemble the person on the drawings the most.”

Stan looked at him before nodding. “Yes, my name is Stanley Marsh.”

“Stanley Marsh…” Mumbled Damien, letting the words linger on his tongue for a second like he’d taste them. “Stanley, you are very important for the future of this universe. You don’t need to fight; actually, I don’t _want_ you to fight. As a person who can freeze time you’re way too precious to put into dangerous situations. So, I will bring you to a safe place as soon as possible to make sure the government won’t be able to touch you.”

“May we ask where?” Bebe raised her voice in question, flinching together when Damien glanced at her.

“Of course not, it’s too dangerous for anyone else to know,” answered the man and he clicked his tongue like it was the dumbest question he ever heard. “If anyone of you knows about it, the possibility of you to blabber it out when being tortu-“ Before Damien could finish his sentence, the whole planet shuddered before they heard a loud crash. The group screamed lightly at the strong vibration and almost fell over, barely able to stay on their feet.

Damien frowned and walked back to his table, clicking on a few keys before a hologram of the planet and its surroundings appeared. The hologram showed the Principality and how it bombarded the planet and the Mechas fighting off others. Craig groaned at it, annoyed that they were found even though they were at an unusual location.

“How could this happen?” Wendy asked loudly, but before someone could give her an answer, she did so herself. “Someone must have followed us somehow...”

“We have to get you out of here,” Damien yelled as he turned around to them with large eyes, the red almost shining. “Now!” And that was enough motivation for them to escape the room and run to the mouth of the tunnel, stopping before opening the doors a bit. Around them the walls kept vibrating from the strong impact of weapons and they could hear the fights of the Mechas above them. “You have to go out there and fight,” their leader instructed with a serious look on his face. “I’ll take Stan to a ship and we will leave secretly from the other side of the planet while you distract them.”

Sounds like a plan,” Tweek agreed, looking at the others before glancing out of the door. “They didn’t hit our ships yet and the run should only take a few seconds. We can make it, but we have to hurry before they damage our transportations.” The others nodded in agreement and got ready to run.

“Craig?” Stan grabbed the former soldier’s arm and turned him around, worry and fear was written all over his face and he looked up to him. “When will we-?”

“I don’t know,” Craig cut him off, cupping his face in his hands and pressing his forehead against Stan’s. “But I will return to you, I promise you that,” he mumbled and the other nodded softly, closing his eyes and trembling hands laid over Craig’s strong ones. The black haired man noticed Damien watching them with interest, then his gaze flew back to his lover’s face. Stan looked so scared, but Craig would keep his promise and come back to him. He leaned down and pressed his lips on Stan’s, the smaller one immediately returned it before they had to part again. “You will be safe and that’s all I need to know for now.” With those words he pulled his chullo on top of Stan's head, a silent promise that they'd meet again.

And that was the truth, knowing that his love was safe and sound somewhere no one could find him, calmed him down. Because that was the reason he was still there; Stan. His safety was what he needed to face his enemies, to be ready to fight in a war he was pulled into by freeing a clueless boy from the government. A war he learned was necessary to bring true freedom and equality into their lives. A war he fought so he could live a peaceful life with the one man he loved most, for eternity.

The former soldier pulled away and turned back to the entrance. Out of the corner of his eyes he noticed Damien grabbing for Stan’s arm and pulling him along, back to the tunnel and a way to a ship. Once they were gone the group started running and to their luck none of the shots hit them before they could jump into their ships.

Craig started his and Kenny got into the seat for the laser guns, ready to shoot as many enemies down as needed. They flew away from the planet and shot a few times at the enemy ships, some exploding and others harming enough to be useless. And their plan worked, they could lead the giant battle ship, as well as the Mechas, away from inferos-999.

 _“How could they find us?!”_ Gregory shouted out, his voice broke a few times from disturbance of the communication devices.

 _“_ We don’t know!” Kenny shouted back, shooting at a ship that was dangerously close to them. He was able to hit it a few times, watching as it exploded close to them. “Shit, this one almost got us.”

 _“Gregory, be careful!”_ Christophe warned, his voice strained form the concentration. _“That one Mecha with the number 035 has a weapon I don’t know.”_

“That’s Scott’s Mecha… Fuck!” Cursed Craig out, looking over at the Mecha, watching Gregory getting closer to him. “Guys! Don’t get too close! He has a weapon that specializes in destroying other Mechas! But as long as you don’t get too close you should be safe!”

 _“How am I supposed to fight like that?!”_ Gregory asked annoyed, forcing his fighting machine to pull out his giant sword. _“I have to get closer!”_

 _“Gregory no!”_ Screamed his boyfriend out, the fear his voice inhabited was only covered up by the anger. _“Don’t get too close!”_ But the blonde didn’t listen to him; within a few seconds he was right in front of Scott and fought him with the sword. Scott was an excellent pilot who knew how to move his Mecha in the best and most efficient way and everyone got witness of it. Craig could hear Christophe’s breathe hitch when the Mecha of Scott punched against the middle of Gregory’s halting there for a few seconds before pulling back and getting distance between them.

At first, Gregory flew after him, but then his Mecha came to a sudden stop. _“What the…?”_ Gregory whispered, the other’s strained their ears to hear him mumble. _“What… Icarus isn’t reacting to my commands?!”_ Then loud beeping sounds where heard and red blinking lights were coming out from Icarus. _“What is going on?! Why are there so many warnings?!”_

“ _Get out of Icarus, now!”_ Commanded Christophe. _“Get into an escape pod, I’ll pick you up.”_

 _“I won’t leave Icarus behind!”_ Exclaimed the blonde, they could hear him clicking on buttons and key, trying to get his Mecha under control again. Craig gulped loudly, glancing over at the machine and biting his tongue when the lights were still seen. Scott looked like he was watching what happened and he could almost hear his former friend laughing.

He knew that Scott’s Mecha had an update a few months back, becoming a Mecha hunter for illegal pilots and machines. But what this weapon exactly was and did was not known to the former soldier. All he knew was that the Government kept this a secret; no one should know what they did with the pilots. They always said that they captured them and threw them into prison, but Craig knew better, they never brought any pilots as prisoners.

 _“Mon cher, please get into this damn escape pod!”_ Begged Christophe out, the voice of the brunette sounded so worried and ready to break, Craig never thought he’d hear his voice like this. There was silence from the other pilot, just breathing and the constant beeping still in the background.

Gregory sighed lightly before speaking again. _“Alright, love, I’ll-_ “ Gregory’s voice was broken off by a loud bang and both Craig’s and Kenny’s eyes flew to the Mecha. They could see it imploding from the inside, first the lower parts then continuing to the upper one. All they could hear before the explosion reached the head, the part where Gregory was, was the blonde’s terrified screaming. And then silence shortly before the whole Mecha fell apart without a trance of its pilot left.

Shortly after, they could hear another scream, one that was laced with anger and sadness. One that was screaming revenge for the person he loved. Christophe’s Helios let go off Timmy’s 096-Mecha and attacked Scott instead, able to land a critical hit in the side. It was like he was running amok, destroying ever little ship that was close enough while beating up 035. He was able to rip the arm with the dangerous weapon off, shooting it until only little leftovers were there.

Meanwhile, Craig kept his eyes open for any sign of Gregory; he knew it was almost impossible for him to survive this explosion. Damn, it was impossible that any of his body was still there, but he didn’t want to give up. He didn’t want to accept that another of his friends died and left behind a loved one. This war was taking so much away from them, so many lives and futures and Craig was so angry.

He used to be on the side of the UOU, he used to be the one who killed the rebels and destroy hope when it was his mission. Craig was one of the people who were the cause of this war, maybe not directly, but he helped the government. Now that he saw how it was, what they did to those innocent people who just want their freedom and be treated in the right way, how could he still sleep at night?

“Craig!” Kenny suddenly shouted out but the black haired man didn’t react fast enough, he was too deep in his own anger that he didn’t notice the ship coming from their left. They were hit by an electrical shot, switching off their ship and giving the passengers an electrocution to knock them out. It was worse for Kenny than it was for Craig; because of his robotic parts the effect was much stronger.

Craig fell headfirst against the controls, looking out of the cockpit as the corner of his eyes turned slowly black. He could still hear Christophe yelling, shouting out curses as he kept attacking the enemy. There was also the voice of Wendy, Bebe and Tweek, asking what happened and if they could hear them. They told them that the Principality was too close, then about a giant robotic arm extending from the battle ship. Craig was able to feel the movement of his ship, as the robotic hand grabbed them and slowly pulled them away.

The last thing he saw before getting unconscious was metallic walls and a hatch closing behind them. Then there was darkness and all Craig could feel was fear.

But at least Stan was safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that was the seventh chapter of Till The Last Starlight!
> 
> Yes, the name of Gregory’s Mecha was foreshadowing!  
> In case you don’t know the story of Icarus, here’s a short version:  
> Icarus and his father Daedalus, a master craftsman, were on Crete and in an attempt to escape, Daedalus made them wings out of feathers and wax. His son was told not to fly too low because of the water but also not too high because of the sun. But Icarus didn’t listen and flew too close to the sun and the wax of his wings melted. He fell into the sea and drowned there. 
> 
> Did anyone think about Damien being the leader of the rebellion? 
> 
> Tricia didn’t tell Craig about her relationship with Karen because she wants to wait for it after they were in battle. 
> 
> Some scenes may seem a bit rushed and I took kinda long for this update, and tbh? I feel kinda burned out atm. I’m not at the best spot in life and it’s just exhausting, so writing is taking a looot of my energy (I still love it though!) and I’m just not in the mood for it often. So sorry for letting you wait and for the chapter being a bit rushed and also being shorter than usual. This will probably be the case for the next chapters, as well, because I'm trying to shorten them a bit. 
> 
> [Commissions are open!](https://natari-55.tumblr.com/post/629331436009324544/writing-commissions-are-open)  
> [My Tumblr!](https://natari-55.tumblr.com/)  
> [Consider buying me A Ko-fi!](https://ko-fi.com/natari)
> 
> Stay tuned!
> 
> Comments are always appreciated and a big motivation for every writer!


	8. Who Are You, Really?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: None (I think, if you find anything of this triggering, please tell me!) 
> 
> Not Beta-Read, so please excuse small errors!

Stan felt cold. You’d think he was used of the coldness of the universe by now, after travelling through it for weeks. But this time was different, he didn’t feel cold because of his surroundings per se, no, it was because of the lack of a certain person. Not even his chullo could keep him warm. Right now the black haired boy was seated next to Damien, the founder of the rebellion steered a small space ship around.

Both were silent since they left the red planet, leaving behind a battle to make sure that Stan was safe. His friends, his lover, were fighting right now, trying to make sure that Damien could bring Stanley to safety. The worst was not knowing how they were, what was happening to his companions. When Stan had enough and moved his hand to push a button on the speaker in a hope of getting in contact with someone, Damien grabbed his wrist and squeezed tightly, stopping him.

“What…?” Mumbled Stan in question, looking up at Damien.

“Don’t do that,” the man almost growled out, his crimson eyes glancing at the other in an intimidating way. “They could track the signal and find us; it’s too dangerous to contact anyone yet. Once I know we’re save I contact them and tell you when you can speak to them again. Until then they have to believe we don’t exist.” Reluctantly he let go of the wrist, placing the hand back on the steering wheel of the ship in order to fly properly.

Stan watched him a bit before looking down at his wrist, red marks started to form on his skin in the form of Damien’s fingers. Did he really squeeze that strong? He didn’t even notice it and Damien only did it to stop him from pressing some button, what could he do when he was actually angry? “…I understand,” he silently murmurs out, glancing up at the man again whose red eyes were staring Stan down.

It would have been a lie when Stan said that he wasn’t a bit scared or Damien, or maybe ‘scared’ was the wrong word – unnerved fit better. He couldn’t explain what it was, but he had the feeling that he could never befriend the man like he did with the rest of the rebellion. Damien had that aura that told you that he’d do a lot to get his goal, that he was dangerous and wouldn’t show it until he needed to. Under this suit and styled hair, was probably a man who wanted to end the government with everything he got.

And the fact that the government didn’t know about him yet, only showed how powerful he had to be. 

With a weird feeling in his guts, Stan leaned back in his seat and looked out the window. The stars and asteroids past them by in a blur and he coldness started to get worse. Outside he could see them nearing a planet that was covered in snow and as he remembered his past, a shiver ran down in spine. Suddenly, a cup was shoved in his vision and he looked over to Damien confused.

“You’re probably cold; this part of the universe is known for it. We will land on the planet in front of us, but don’t worry, only the upper layer is covered is snow and ice, the inside of the planet is much warmer. There we will hide you,” explained Damien, his eyes focused on the white planet in front of them. “Drink this, its hot tea and will help you warm up.”

With a nod, Stan took the cup and sipped on his, humming at the sweet taste and the warmth that took over. It felt good, fought off the freezing feeling in his body and helped him to relax. Once the cup was empty he gave it back to Damien before slumping in his seat again, his head leaned against the window. Stan pulled his legs up and pressed his knees against his chest, hugging them close while watching the nearing planet. A yawn forced its way out of his mouth, surprising even himself as tiredness washed over him.

But Stan wasn’t tired a few seconds ago; he was wide awake from what happened. Now he felt himself dozing off, unable to hold his head up without leaning it against the cold glass. His eyes were heavy and falling close only for him to snap them open again. It was a fight he knew he couldn’t win, one his body has the lead in from the very beginning. When he heard a chuckle next to him, he glanced over at Damien, a smug smirk on his lips and his red eyes fixed on the black haired man.

“Naw, are you tired Stanny?” Damien cooed, placing a hand on Stan’s head and stroking through the black strands. Another dark chuckled left the man’s throat and Stan could have sworn that those red eyes shone for a second. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you and make sure you’ll be as useful as possible. It’s time for you to fulfill what you were born for, don’t you think?” And with those last words Stan’s consciousness said goodbye and his eyes fell close.

He never felt that cold before.

It was silent, so silent that Craig could hear the breath of someone else next to him, it was also dark, dark enough that for a second he thought he was blind. When he had opened his eyes, Craig realized that he couldn’t move and was tied to a chair. Another thing he noticed was the cold object he was tied to, most likely a metal chair. As he tried to move it under him he was unable to, it wouldn’t even lift an inch.

Craig twitched when he heard a groan next to him, followed by shuffling. “…Kenny, is that you?” He asked into the darkness, halting in order to hear everything.

“Craig?” He felt the body next to him moving slightly in the seat and felt the blonde’s eyes on him. “Where are we?!” The Cyborg asked with wonder in his voice, and annoyance.

“I don’t know, I only remember that we were caught by the Principality and that’s it. We must be in one of the cells or something like that,” guess the former soldier, trying to move against his restrains again before giving up.

“Shit…” Kenny mumbled. “That means we’re probably on our way back home, so they can throw you in a cell and use my robotic part for their little machines...”

“…At least Stan is save.”

“Yeah, at least something good that came out from this missi-“ before the Cyborg could finish the sentence, a metal door right in front of them opened. Both flinched together and groaned as the light from the next room shone in, blinding them temporarily. Shortly after a group of people walked in, switching the lights of the room on.

After getting rid of the white spots that formed in his sight from the light, he recognized the people in front of them. Token, Garrison and Dr. Mephesto were staring at them, two looked concerned, while the fleet leader – Garrison – looked simply annoyed and checked some dirt under his nail.

“Alright, you two made more than enough trouble,” the man said and glanced at them for a second before returning his attention back to his nails. “Mephesto, explain what horrible mistake those idiots did.”

“Oh, we already know,” Kenny growled at them, it almost looked like he tried to bare his teeth to scare them a bit. “We were captured and now you want to rub it under our nose before killing us!”

“Oh hon, don’t be so overdramatic,” sighed Garrison, he rolled his eyes at the Cyborg. “Didn’t you learn to listen before making such dumb accusations?”

“What?! Do you think we-“

“Kenny,” Token cut in, his face serious at voice stern. “Please, listen to us and then decide what you want to believe and what not.”

Kenny glanced the alien up and down before huffing in defeat. “You two, where did you bring the subject from the ice?” Mephesto asked, trying to animate them to answer faster by circling his hands.

“His name is Stan and we won’t tell you where he is, we just got him to safety!” Craig spat out, his brows knitted together in anger of Mephesto calling his boyfriend a subject like he was something to experiment on.

“No Craig, you’re wrong,” said Token while the scientist mumbled something about Stan’s name and it being interesting. “You think you brought him to safety, but you only gave him over to the hand of evil and reinsure the universe’s end.”

Craig scowled at the alien, not understanding what he was talking about. His old friend was intelligent, the chullo wearing man knew this, but now he was talking nonsense. Stan was save with Damien, the man who formed the rebellion in order to end racism and not letting the government taking over everything. And when Token noticed that both Craig and Kenny waited for an explanation, he continued.

“Stan is not safe with Damien,” and with those words the eyes of the two prisoners widened in shock. “Yes, we know about Damien and we guess he was the one you brought him to?”

As the two stayed silent, Mephesto took over. “Boys, please talk to us. We studied the place we found Subje- Stan in and found disturbing things. Stories of a black haired man who called himself Damien, the owner of Space! In drawings that were made with the blood of former citizens where Damien was shown with six eyes!”

Craig’s eyes widened even more and a cold shower ran down his spine at those words. Six eyes, the one person Stan was afraid of and they probably chased him in his arms. “…You can read their language?”

“No,” Mephesto admitted with the shook of his head, “But we didn’t need to, his name was the only thing written in our language and not the one of the natives. We don’t know how this was possible, but he is dangerous and when you Stan to this man, then he is in danger.”

“Not only him, the whole universe is…” Craig whispered out, his gaze fixed on the ground.

“Craig!” Kenny hissed, pushing his shoulder against the other’s. “Don’t tell him!”

“Kenny, it’s impossible for them to know about Damien other than this!” Yelled Craig, glaring at his friend. “When this is true and Stan is in danger because we believed some stranger who told us about freedom and bullshit like that, then we need to get him out of there! You know about the damn prophecy!”

“Wait, what prophecy?” Garrison asked, remembering everyone that he was still in the room and listening.

The Cyborg stared at his friend, thinking over what to do and if they could trust the government or not. It was risky, Craig knew this too, but when Damien was the real enemy, then the government was the one who could help them. Maybe they’d destroy each other and in the meantime Craig could take Stan away from there. This could be worth a shot and Kenny slowly realized it, too, the former soldier could see it in his eyes.

“We want proof,” Kenny said after a while, looking at the other three people in the room. “I want to be sure that you’re not kidding us, do you have any-“ There was a device shoved in front of his face, Token held it out to him. “Yeah, fine, but I can’t see anything from this close, smartass!” The alien rolled his eyes and pulled back, showing it to the both prisoners.

There were pictures of the drawings and words Mephesto mentioned, all of them in Stan’s language except for one thing. Damien’s name was written over the wall in a loopy handwriting was ‘Damien Thorn – Owner of Space’ in the blood of the killed people. Right next it the prophecy. 

“Oh shit,” Craig mumbled, looking over the picture again and again to make sure he wasn’t imagine it, that it was actually real. “And that drawing looks exactly like Damien.”

“One more question though,” Kenny threw him as Token pulled the device back again, looking at the two tied up man. “How did you know we brought him to Damien? We could have brought him to someone else.”

“Damien is not completely unknown to us,” Garrison spoke up, walking up to the two rebels. “We had him on our visor for some time but lost track of him. His suspicious behavior was always odd though and we connected him with the rebellion. Now that we found his name there we also found the connection to Stan and guess you brought him there.”

“So, where are they?” Token pushed.

“We don’t know,” admitted Kenny with a defeated sigh, earning a loud ‘What?!’ from the other people in the room. “Damien left with him to a safe place for hiding and told no one where that is.”

“Shit,” cursed Garrison, stroking with his hand over his face. “What should I tell McDaniels now?”

“Tell her we wouldn’t be in this situation if the damn UOU didn’t try to forcefully take over the whole goddamn universe!” Yelled the Cyborg. “Your racist government forced us to form this rebellion and fight against you and now the whole universe is at risk.”

“We’re no-“ Garrison started, but was immediately cut off by Kenny again.

“’You’re no racist’? Of course you are! We saw how you treat non-human beings, how you treat Cyborgs even though most of is a peaceful and friendly! There are bounty hunters after us just for our existence!”

“Well, it doesn’t matter anymore,” Mephesto sighed out, his shoulders slumped lightly in defeat. “All of us will die…”

“No, Stan won’t help Damien once he knows what he’s doing, he’s not like that,” defended Craig with a stern look on his face. He knew Stan best and his boyfriend wasn’t like that, he was scared of the prophecy the second he learned about its existence. So Craig knew that Stan would do anything to stop Damien once he figured out what was actually happening. “As long as Damien can’t get Stan to cooperate everything is safe.”

“But we don’t know how the prophecy works,” Token said, his hand at his chin while thinking over his words. “Maybe it starts from them just using their powers together or being in the same room for a special amount of time. We have to find them In order to stop it for sure.”

“What will you do with him when you get him?”

Mephesto cleared his throat before answering, gaining everyone’s attention. “It would be in our favor to study him like it was planned, but due to the circumstances we will immediately move on to step two.”

“Step two?” Repeated Kenny, one eyebrow cocked at the scientist.

“Exterminating him,” replied Mephesto with a calm voice, like he just declared that he’d move him to a nice looking cottage to live in peace.

“You wanted to kill him?!” Screamed Craig out, his eyes wide and nose wrinkled in disgust. “Why?! He didn’t do anything!”

“He is a danger, Mr. Tucker,” justified the scientist. “We already knew this when we buried him out. It was never our plan to use him as a weapon like the rebels accused of us, no, we wanted to know about the former civilization before making sure he couldn’t be any danger.”

Craig shook his head, his eyebrows knitted together in anger. “This is wrong; Stan is innocent and wouldn’t hurt a fly. Killing him is the wrong way and when you plan to do this, then we won’t help you find him. I’d rather see him destroy the universe than watching you kill him.” And Craig was serious, because when Stan would do what the prophecy wants him to do, then he’d at least have a chance to survive this. Whether or not the universe would be destroyed, Craig would lose him but when there was the opportunity not to see him being killed, then he’d take it.

“Craig, be rational,” warned Token, but the pleading in his eyes was too strong to be ignored. But Craig didn’t care. “What when we promise not to kill him?”

“What?” Garrison shouted, but Token ignored him.

“Damien is the evil one here, our main enemy of all of us, so there is no actual need to kill Stan. When one of them is gone the prophecy can’t work, right?” He looked over to Mephesto for confirmation and got a nod in return. “And Stan didn’t cause any trouble for us, that were the rebels. So how about we promise you that you can leave with him once Damien is gone, give you the opportunity to escape while everything is a mess? Would you help us find him then?”

Yellow eyes narrowed at the alien, his friend, before Craig nodded. “But I want an official document where this is written down. No tricks or I won’t help you.”

“No problem,” agreed Token.

“Are you insane?!” Garrison grabbed Token’s shoulder in a tight grip and forcefully pulled him around, his face red in anger. “You can’t just decide that! I am the fleet leader and you’re just a low Space Warrior and navigator! There’s no way McDaniels will allow any of this happening!”

“Then we won’t tell them,” Token shrugged the hand off of his shoulder. “She doesn’t need to know about this and she won’t, as long as we make sure Craig and Stan can escape. None of them will be so stupid to walk up to McDaniels just to betray us in this, the chanced for being arrested and Stan being executed are too big.”

Garrison mumbled under his breath, he debated with himself in order to make a decision. “You know what? Do what you want, I wasn’t here when this happened in case you’re found out. Got it? Mephesto is an authority that is allowed to make such decisions when he says it was for his research, he can sign the contract. But leave me out of this.” And with those last words the fleet leader left, giving over to Token and Mephesto.

“Alright, I’ll write the contract now and you try to find Stan,” Token declared while freeing Kenny and Craig. The dark skinned man glanced at Mephesto before leaving the room in order to prepare everything.

Kenny and Craig watched the scientist for a bit before starting to whisper to each other. “So, how do you plan to find Stan once that contract is signed?”

“Stan has my chullo,” stated Craig like it was the answer to everything, stroking through his black hair to emphasize what he just said. When the Cyborg raised an eyebrow in confusion, the former soldier rolled his eyes before adding, “We can track him down with it.” Kenny’s eyes widened and his mouth formed to let out a quiet ‘oh’ as he understood.

“Damn, you’re good Tucker,” complimented the blonde, nudging his side.

“Learned from the best bounty hunter that ever existed,” mentioned Craig, earning a chuckle from Kenny. “But Damien will probably notice it; a small lamp blinks up inside the chullo when it’s being tracked. The chanced that he will call for back up are big and we probably have to get the other rebels on our side then. I think Wendy will be the biggest hurdle on our way.”

“Yeah, Damien is something like a messiahs for her, but don’t worry, I recorded everything just now. Once she heard all this she will join us, I’m sure,” Kenny pointed at his ears with a grin, proud that his Cyborg parts were such a good help.

After a few more minutes Token returned with a two site long contract, everything written down. Craig took it and read through it together with Kenny, making sure there weren’t any traps. He trusted Token to some extent, they were friend after all, but he worked for the government. Trust is good – Control is better.

Once they were sure everything was good, Mephesto and Craig signed the contract, each getting a copy of it. “Alright, there is one problem we will have to deal with once you tracked down Stanley,” started Token before they could leave the room in order to search for the chullo. Craig and Kenny tensed up, ready to fight if necessary. “Most of the army will be sent to the location and I am sure that the rebels will follow in order to fight. Even though that is an inconvenience, it’s not the problem I meant – Leslie Meyers is the problem. She got the order to get Stan and she will most likely be there, too and as long as she isn’t caught and the order deleted from the system, she will fight.”

“Leave her to me,” Kenny growled out, his face darkening at the thought of the female Cyborg. “I still have to make her pay for what she did to me.” Token and Mephesto glanced at Craig who shook his head weakly, telling them not to ask any questions and letting him be. The Cyborg would take care of Leslie, Craig trusted him.

Together the four walked into the navigation room, Garrison sat at the chair to look over all his people. One of his brows shot up when he saw the group, gesturing to the navigation system. Craig walked up there with Token and Kenny. He opened the window to type in the tracking code of his chullo. After he pressed enter it was located in less than a minute, showing the exact location for a few seconds before the signal was lost.

“What happened?” Token asked with a frown, sitting down to give in the navigation they got before.

“Damien must have noticed and destroyed it,” explained Craig. “But you got it long enough to get the ship there?”

“Yep,” nodded Token, already showing the spot to everyone and sending it out. “Rest of the army knows now, too. I bet once we arrive there we will be in the middle of the war.” He turned on his chair to the two former prisoners. “You two should get one of our smaller ships to get on the planet safely. With it you can always get in contact with your people and explain the situation once we’re there and close enough to not need a code.”

“Should work like this, I don’t think they’d trust a code of a ship of the government,” agreed Kenny. “When they see it’s one of yours that try to contact them, they’ll immediately block it.”

“Alright, then go and choose a ship, directions hang on the wall, meanwhile we get us there,” Token turned back to the screen and typed on the keyboard fast. When the other two started to walk away, he looked over his shoulder once more. “Be safe, the universe is counting on you.”

Kenny and Craig nodded before leaving the room, hearing Garrison shout at his people. “Alright you idiots! Time to end this war once and for all!”

When the darkness finally started to leave Stan’s vision, he noticed the change of scenery immediately. Slowly his head lifted up in order to look around. He was at the edge of a big room, metal walls were surrounding him and when his eyes moved to the middle, he noticed a path that lead over an abyss, in the middle a small platform to stand on. As he looked around, pulling at the strings of Craig’s chullo, he saw Damien a bit away from him.

The leader of the rebellion was looking up at a screen, eyes furrowed in a serious manner. Behind him was a podium, on top of it a big object that resembled of a coffin made of glass. Inside said coffin laid a person with blonde hair and pale skin. 

Anxiety shot through his body as he remembered what happened shortly before he fell asleep – now sure that Damien had drugged him. There was no chance of him suddenly feeling so tired like that and he only felt that dizzy after drinking the tea. The look and Damien’s words shot through his head and the possibility that the black haired man wasn’t as friendly as he pretended to be scared him. Maybe all this was a trap from the government and Damien would bring him to him.

Stan couldn’t let this happen; he had to get back to Craig and the others. So he started looking for a way out but wasn’t able to find a door. Every wall looked the same; no metal looked different and showed a door, so it had to be hidden. Maybe, with a bit of luck, he could stop the time long enough to find it.

His eyes fell close as he started to concentrate in order to open his third eye, the more power he used the more time he got. But as he thought he’d make it, he heard a dark chuckle in front of him. When his eyes flew open, Damien stood right in front of him, a big menacing grin over his face, teeth unnatural sharp. How did he get there so fast? Stan should have been able to hear him walking over the metal floor!

“Aw, Stanny, are you sure you want to do this?” Damien spoke out with a cheery voice, looking down at the other man. “I really…” As he continued talking, Stan noticed faint slits appearing under and over each eye. “…Don’t think so.” While Damien’s voice was calm and predatory, Stan made himself as small as possible, his whole body trembling as he noticed that those slits were eyes. They opened all as the same time, six red glowing eyes stared down at him. “Oh, did I scare you?” Chuckled Damien deeply, leaning a bit over Stan, his hands behind his back. “Surprised?”

“Y-You are…” Stan stuttered out in a whisper, not wanting to believe that Damien, of all people possible, was the other person of the prophecy.

“Naw, it’s actually cute when you stammer for your words,” laughed Damien, his shoulder shaking as he bathed in Stan’s shock and fear. Then the suited man leaned down and grabbed the other’s arm, pulling him up on his weak legs. “Let’s talk.” And just like that Stan was pulled along to the screen from before with the coffin behind.

The closer they got to the coffin, the more Stan tried to pull away. But it was to no avail, Damien’s grip was to strong and the more he tried to fight, the stronger it grew. Once they were close enough, Stan had a better look at the person in the coffin. It looked like a man, blonde hair lying under his head and reminded of a halo. His white suit had almost no wrinkle and his hands were intertwined on his chest. He looked peaceful and like he was asleep, but the pale skin didn’t look too healthy but a faint breathing could be seen.

When they stopped, Stan’s eyes were still locked on the living corpse. He felt fingers curl around his chin and forcing him to look at the screen in front of him. What he saw made his fear grow even bigger. In front of him, shown on the screen, were photographs of the prophecy, drawings of Damien and Stan next to it. Stan’s third eye roamed over the texts, translating them for him to understand what was written there.

Stories of agony and miserable deaths were described, the pain they felt when Damien came to the small mountain town. How they begged for their lives, for being left alone and spared. It was under one condition the demon like man would have let them live – They had to tell where they hid Stan. But due to the fear of knowing what could happen when those two met, the villagers stayed silent. And they paid the price, dying in flames and screams.

As Stan read that he felt sick, barely able to control the nausea and bile that tried to rise up, he asked, “…When was that?”

“Maybe two hundred years after they put you in that ice cave,” said Damien, smirking down at Stan who looked confused. How could Damien still be alive? The man decided to answer the question before Stan could ask. “We’re not human, Stanley. We’re something completely different that simply stops aging at some point. Do you really think the fact we didn’t meet that time would stop the prophecy from happening? No, it’s fate.”

“It’s not!” Stan countered, pulling away from Damien who furrowed his brows lightly in irritation. “We don’t have to do this; we can let the universe be! Isn’t there someone out there who would be worth keeping this beautiful space?” When the older man stayed silent, Stan glanced over to the blonde in the coffin. “What is with him? Would he like what you’re-“

“Keep him out of this,” snarled Damien. “He is the reason I am doing this for. Once the prophecy is fulfilled, there is no time and space anymore. Philip can wake up and be with me forever, and you can’t stop me, Marsh.”

Stan ground his teeth together and clenched his fists at his side. He couldn’t give up, he had to escape and warn everyone. When he started to look around again, searching for the door, a small lamp inside the chullo started to flicker. It illuminated Stan’s face in a red light.

Damien frowned deeper and took the few steps closer to Stan. When he grabbed the chullo, Stan’s arms flew up and held onto his arm, trying to stop to take it away. “Let go!”

“What is this?!” The man shouted, using his other arm to push Stan away at his shoulder and on the ground, chullo tight in his other hand. Stan made a soft ‘oof’ sound as he fell on his behind, looking up at the other man. “Are they tracking you?!” Damien threw the hat on the ground and stomped down on it, a cracking sound coming from the piece of cloth. The light went off as the tracker inside was destroyed.

Stan watched helplessly, trying to make a plan while Damien cursed and walked over to the desk. He pressed a button. “Wendy!” He said with a loud and strained voice. “Come to the coordinated I send you and bring everyone with you! They were able to track Craig’s hat and are on their way!”

 _“Yes sir!”_ Wendy’s voice came from speakers in front of Damien. Her voice calmed Stan a bit down. They were coming and once they arrived and Stan could tell them what was going on, they’d help him.

The rebels fought for the universe and wanted to safe it; they would help him defeat Damien. And most importantly, Craig was on his way to get him out.

There was still a chance and Stan was ready to give everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that was the eighth chapter of Till The Last Starlight!
> 
> Just one more chapter to go and the epilogue! 
> 
> I’m so sorry that updated are so slow and lacking, stuff is going on in my life and my motivation for writing is almost zero. It was also pretty short in comparison to the others, but next chapter everything will go down and this was all I could do rn!
> 
> I hope the next chapter will be out faster! 
> 
> [Commissions are open!](https://natari-55.tumblr.com/post/629331436009324544/writing-commissions-are-open)  
> [My Tumblr!](https://natari-55.tumblr.com/)  
> [Want to support me? Buy me a Ko-fi!](https://ko-fi.com/natari)
> 
> Stay tuned!
> 
> Comments are always appreciated and a big motivation for every writer!


	9. Lost Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Character Death, Blood
> 
> Not Beta-Read, so please excuse small errors!

Stan looked around, annoyed that he knew that he didn’t stand a chance against Damien in combat. The man seemed to have a stronger build body, not to forget that he probably could control his powers much better. And not to forget that he could teleport, manipulate his own position in this universe, so running away was no option. It also was no option because he was chained to the platform that loomed over the abyss. Damien chained him there just to make sure he wouldn’t try something dumb.

Right now, the black haired man was back at his device, typing in some stuff Stan didn’t understand. All he could do was watch and hope that Craig would be there soon. But there had to be something he could do, maybe using his powers was the key in the end. Just not too much, he couldn’t trigger his third eye.

With a deep exhale, he closed his eyes and started to concentrate. The only noise he could hear was Damien angrily typing on his device, probably sending out orders to the rebellion. It was a bit distracting, but he had to ignore it as good as possible. He had to think what would happen to him when he couldn’t stop this, what would happen to his friends, to the people in this universe. To Craig.

When he opened his eyes again they shone bright, and even though his third eye tried to open he could suppress it. Suddenly an annoyed shout filled the whole hall and Damien emerged from behind the device, eyes shining red in anger. “You! Did you just freeze my computer in time?!” He bared his fangs and started to walk over to the other. But when he stepped to the beginning of the small path, his feet froze. Damien looked down and then back up, noticing Stan not really looking at him. “You little fucker, freezing just my feet in time so I can’t move.”

Stan wasn’t sure that it would work when he thought about it, but Damien was still at the same spot. He couldn’t teleport when Stan froze him in any way. As long as he could keep this up, he could buy them some time. Now he needed to hope that his energy won’t run out until the others were there and he explained everything.

Just as he thought about it, the heard a loud crash from outside, followed by a lot more. Stan lost concentration for one second, enough for Damien to take another step and tried to teleport again. But to Stan’s luck, he found his concentration again and could stop the man from his try. Now that he knew that at least a few of the rebels were there he only had to wait. Sooner or later someone would find them.

Hopefully sooner.

“Shit!” Kenny screamed as he fell over, Craig landing on top of him. They were on their way to the ship when the Principality was hit by another ship.

“Are you okay?” Token held out his hand, helping the two men back on their feet. “Damien must have ordered them here to be protected. You two have to be careful out there,” explained the Alien as he turned around again and lead the other two. “Your own people will start to hunt you down when they see that ship. Ours won’t they know not to touch yours.”

“How?” Asked Craig, glancing around as people ran past them, shouting about getting weapons and repairing the ship.

“All our ships are numbered, yours will be B-098,” clarified Token, entering a big hall with spaceships in it. They were all just big enough for two people, one to fly and shoot laser from the front and the other person in the back with blasters to shoot all the time. “All of our people know not to attack you even when they find out it are you inside them. So you’re safe from them.”

“For now,” added Kenny.

“Yes, until all this is over and we are enemies again,” he came to a stop in front of one of the shops and turned around, his eyebrow knitted together with a worried and sad look. “But I hope that one day this war will be over and we could find a solution to make everyone happy. Maybe then we will become friends.”

Craig watched Token talk, noticing how he glanced over to him before his gaze found the ground. With a weak smile, Craig placed one hand on his shoulder. “You are my friend, Token. That you do your work won’t change it. I hope we will meet again and then I will properly introduce you to Stan.”

Token immediately brightened up, a strong smile present on his lips. “Thank you, old friend.” Then he turned back to the ship, typing in a code and the cockpit glass opened to let the two in. “The planet is completely covered in ice, so they’re probably underground. You two need to find the entrance and stop whatever it is that needs to be stopped.”

Kenny and Craig were already climbing into the ship, Craig at the steering wheel and Kenny at the blasters. Craig nodded down to Token one last time before he started the small ship. It came to life as the glasses closed above them and he machines started to purr. Within a second they were out of the Principality and in the wide space, surrounded by other ships and laser beams.

Thanks to Craig’s experience they weren’t hit by any of the rebels yet. He even found the time to get into the communication of the rebels’ ships and contact them. Or, made Kenny contact them as he had to dodge being hit. “Wendy? Bebe? Can anyone hear me?!” The Cyborg shouted into the device, hoping for anyone of his friends to answer.

_“Kenny? Where are you?!”_ Bebe’s voice came from the speakers, confusion but also a bit of hope in her voice. Hope that her friend was okay and escaped from the government through some miracle.

“Craig and I are in one of the government’s ships! B-098, tell the others not to shoot at us!” Demanded the blonde, groaning when Craig barely dodged another attack on them. As he flew the ship, he noticed that Scott’s Mecha wasn’t anywhere in sight, even though Timmy and Christophe’s were fighting. Scott not being here could only mean one thing, he died in Christophe’s attack.

_“How come you could escape?”_ Wendy asked, her voice sounded wary, but the attacks on them soon stopped. Kenny glanced over at the pilot, a silent conversation happening between them to decide what to tell. The young woman was under direct order of Damien, but hopefully she would trust her friends more than him.

With a deep breath, Kenny started to explain what had happened. He told them about their captivity ad how Mephesto and Token explained what was actually going on. It was hard for him to break it through that, right now, Damien was their main opponent and that he used the rebellion to get Stan. While Kenny continued to explain, Stan kept looking around for faces he knew. He noticed Tweek and David in a ship while the Alien’s were fighting on the ships.

Red looked beaten up, several wounds with blood oozing out of them. Gary was right next to her, trying to get the enemies away from his Queen. But there were so many and they either had strong laser weapons or guns, enough to have a chance against someone like Red. The, out of the corner of his eyes, Craig saw someone floating in the free space. His eyes widened when he recognized him, skin pale and eyes glazed over with fear in his eyes. Butters’ corpse was floating freely in space, a big wound in his lifeless body that surly cause his death.

War took everyone, even the most innocent ones.

_“You are lying,”_ countered Wendy once Kenny finished, anger clear in her voice. _“The Government got to you and now you’re trying to get our leader and kill him!”_

“That’s not true!” Yelled Craig, observing the surface to look for an entrance. He let the computer of the ship scan to find something noticeable, something that could be an entrance to the underground. “Do you really think I’d let those people have Stan?! Never, but that won’t matter when Damien gets through with his plan! We have to stop him or everyone will die!”

Silence fell over the ship, no one dared to say a word for a few seconds. The computer signalized that it found a way in, a hidden door under the snow, big enough to fit Damien’s ship in. Craig grinned lightly and steered the space ship to the hidden entrance. But he had to stop when another ship, one of the rebellions, got in the way.

_“I can’t let you do this,”_ Wendy said through the speaker, just above a whisper as she stood in the way of the people she saw as her friends. _“I know you think what you’re doing it right, but the government manipulated you. All our work would be for nothing when-“_

_“Wendy, stop it!”_ That was Bebe’s voice that erupted right next to Wendy’s. She probably turned her girlfriend to face her, making sure she would listen to her. _“I know you trust Damien and I know that all this crushes you down. But I believe them, you know as well as I do that Craig wouldn’t give Stan over and protect him. And Kenny? He lost Kyle because of the Government, he wouldn’t work with them if it wasn’t absolutely necessary!”_

_“Bebe, I can’t-“_

_“Yes, yes you can! You have to, because when you don’t,”_ there was the sound of a loading gun coming through the speaker and the pilot and the Cyborg tensed. _“Then I have to do something I really don’t want to… I love you, Wendy, but the whole universe is at risk and you taught me to sacrifice what is necessary to safe it.”_

Silence fell over them once more, but this time it was broken by the space ship backing off, letting Craig steer their ship to the entrance. But it wouldn’t open of course and they had to figure out what could open it. Maybe it needed a password or some device, but there wasn’t the time for them to look for something.

Then, out of nowhere, a big laser beam was shot from behind them, right at the hidden metal doors. It only took a second for the doors to be gone and a big tunnel was visible. Kenny sheered loudly as he turned to see Helios, in him Christophe. The Mecha pointed at the opening and gave a thumb up. _“Go and save the universe,”_ Christophe commanded. _“Don’t let their death be for nothing.”_

Without hesitating for a second, the pilot led the ship down and into the tunnel. “Some are following us,” mentioned Kenny, trying to recognize who was inside. But the second they entered the tunnel it was pitch black, impossible for them to see anything. Craig switched on the lights of his ship and the Cyborg climbed up to him to see where they were flying to.

After a few minutes the tunnel started to narrow and they stopped in front of Damien’s ship. Craig switched the engine off and landed before he climbed out, the blonde following him. Behind them the other ships landed as well, their people getting out and revealing who they were. Wendy, Bebe, Tweek and David stepped up to them, weapons in their hands.

“It’s time to end this war,” Tweek said, a stern look on his face and lance in his hands, crackling with his power. “Enough people, innocent or not, have suffered from this and now is the time to stop this suffering.”

“Right,” David agreed as he stepped next to his partner, his own lance in his hands, “Let’s go, while we stand here talking people are dying out there.” A nod from the others and they ran along the tunnel through darkness. Kenny used his eyes to give them light, making sure that they didn’t run against a wall.

They ran for a bit until they came to a dead end. Confused the group looked around, searching for any clue. Craig paused and pressed his ear against the wall in front of them, shushing the others into silence. “….I hear someone talking.” As soon as he said that, the others were pressed against the wall, too, squeezing the black haired man between them.

“That’s Damien,” gasped Wendy, her voice suddenly down in a whisper. “That has to be the door to wherever he holds Stan hostage, but how do we-“

“Step aside!” Kenny yelled with his hand, the one he could use as a laser gun, lifted and loading already. The others barely had time to jump aside as a shot of laser shot past them, forcing its way through the door and opening it. Immediately the group stormed into the room, eyes widening as they looked around.

Most first noticed the big computer and the coffin behind it, but Craig immediately saw Stan and Damien. “Stan!” He shouted, already running towards them. At his shout, Stanley lost concentration and looked at Craig, relief flooding over him. When the former soldier lifted his weapon and aimed at Damien, the man immediately teleported away. Craig cursed under his breath but immediately ran to his lover. “Are you alright?!” He asked, kneeling down to wrap his arms around him.

Stanley sighed loudly and leaned into the embrace, inhaling Craig’s scent and relaxed. Craig was here, everything would be alright. “Yes,” the smaller one finally answered, pulling away and pressing his forehead against the other’s. “Now that you are here I feel much better.” A smile grew on Craig’s face and he pressed his lips back against Stan’s.

For just a second both fell at peace, seeing a way out of this and a future together. This feeling was broken when Craig felt a foot crashing against the side of his head. The man screamed and fell to his side, barely able to stop his body from sliding off the edge. Stan yelled in surprise, recognizing Damien who teleported right next to them. But the others reacted fast and started shooting, angering the black haired man who immediately teleported away again.

Craig was able to pull himself back up, not that hard thanks to being a former marine soldier. He took a deep breath to calm down his beating heart. Another scream forced him to look towards his friends, noticing other people filling the room. People from the rebellion. And they started to attack his friends.

Meanwhile Damien stood at his computer again, grinning widely at the trouble he caused the others. Surely he convinced those rebels that he was on their side and they were simply trying to stop them from winning the war. Craig bit his lower lip and turned back to Stan, starting to pull at the chains but they wouldn’t move. “Shit,” he cursed in a breath, glancing back and noticing Damien staring at him with a smirk. Then his gaze wandered over to Tweek and he started to walk over to him, dagger in his hand.

As Craig moved to stand up and call after Tweek, Damien teleported behind the blonde, his arm raised to push the blade down the man’s neck. Though it wasn’t Tweek whose blood started to fall on the floor, painting it red. It wasn’t the blonde who screamed in pain and fell to the floor. No, it was David, the Wargorg pushed his lover away and took his place instead. Damien didn’t care, of course, he stepped away and started laughing loudly. It looked like he enjoyed the angry and shocked scream of Tweek who fell to his knees, holding his partner close.

The couple was whispering to each other, Craig couldn’t understand from the distance, but David was smiling as his breathing got slower. Tweek cried as his pressed his forehead against David’s, muttering against his blood covered lips and holding him as close as possible. Around them everyone froze, too shocked of what was happening in the middle of the fight.

After David’s last breath, Tweek carefully laid him down before jumping up with a loud roar. Electricity shot through him as he attacked the murderer of his love. It was to no avail though, because Damien simply teleported away. He always appeared next to one of his enemies and attacked them, way too fast for anyone to react.

“We have to stop him,” Stan growled out, face knitted in an angry scowl as he watched his friends losing.

“Once I get you out of those chains we-“

“No, Craig,” the smaller one cut in, his eyes slightly glowing as his wrath on Damien grew with every second. “There’s only one way to sto-“

“Craig!” The two black haired men turned around when Kenny shouted at them. With a raised arm the Cyborg pointed at a person in the crowed who walked towards them.

Leslie Meyers had found them and she was there to bring Stan back to the government. Her electric blue eyes were fixated on him and she didn’t even try to step away when Kenny came crashing down on her. The blonde stood between her and his friends now, stopping her from getting to them. “Move aside,” her cold voice erupted from her throat, sounding almost robotic as it echoed around the people fighting.

“You killed Kyle,” snarled Kenny out as he got into a fighting position, his knees lightly bent and arms raised. “And you will pay for this.”

“Kyle?” Leslie asked, her eyes shone up for a second as she looked through her data based. “Oh yes, the bounty hunter. It was his own fault, he got in the way.” The female Cyborg stared at the blonde, not even blinking and her eyes concentrated on the blonde.

“Why did you even shoot?! You would have hit Stan, too!” Kenny gulped lightly and Craig could see how he started to load his gun, ready to attack.

“I hoped to kill the former soldier, Craig Tucker, and hurt my target just so he wouldn’t die. The other man’s corpse would have pulled him down and off the ship, perfect for me to catch the Subject,” explained the black haired woman – if you could still call her that. She was more of a pure robot without any emotions, her eyes icy and mouth only moving to talk. There was no emotion visible on her face and it made the room just so much colder with her presence. “Broflovski’s selfless act wasn’t calculated and he paid the price.”

Craig saw Kenny shaking his head in disbelieve, noticed how the Cyborg’s whole body shivered in anger. He was ready to kill and no one could stop him from avenging his lover. It was either Leslie’s last day or Kenny’s.

Or worse, everyone’s.

With a loud scream, Kenny attack Leslie and the two fell into a fight. Leslie tried to get to Craig and Stan and Kenny always stopping her. It was only when Damien teleportation got faster and his attacks stronger, that the former soldier turned back to his lover. “How can we stop Damien and the Prophecy from happening?”

“Either he or I have to be gone, only then the prophecy won’t be able to be fulfilled,” explained Stan, his bright blue eyes locked on Craig’s yellow ones. Craig knew exactly what ‘be gone’ meant and he started to shake his head in denial. He couldn’t do this, he couldn’t find Stan only to lose him again and this time for ever.

“Then he has to died,” announced the black haired man, preparing his blaster. He turned around and tried to aim at his enemy, but with him always teleporting around it was hard. Especially when he always appeared in the middle of the mass of people fighting. “Come on…” He mumbled and when the man stayed at the same spot for more than a second, Craig shot.

But Damien got away, this time teleporting right in front of Craig again. Craig felt the fist hitting his face before he could react and as he stumbled backwards, he felt a kick against his lower back. Behind him Stanley was screaming, shouting at Damien to stop. More punches and kicks fell, always hitting the former soldier but never lasting long enough for Craig to counter anything.

Soon, the scream of Stan turned into helpless whimpers as he watched his lover being beaten down. He couldn’t do anything to safe him, because Damien didn’t care for his pleads and his cries. Damien Thorn cared just for one thing, the Prophecy and its fulfillment. As another hard kick hit against Craig’s rips, making the man cry out in pain louder than usual, Stan had enough. With a loud scream, his third eye opened, gaining the attention of everyone in the room.

Damien’s eyes widened and a wide grin stretched over his lips. A maniacal laughter erupted from his chest as his arms spread out and his other eyes opened as well. “Finally!” He screamed, his laughter slowly dying down as his eyes started growing brightly. The man turned around and walked down the path again, leaving Craig behind. “You stupid naïve wannabe heroes,” he snickered out, all eyes on him. “You really thought you’d safe the world with your little rebellion and yet you brought its total damnation.”

Craig watched from the floor before using all his strength to stand back up and turn to Stan. “Why… Why did you do that?” He asked, stepping closer to his lover, to the man who decided to destroy the universe just to safe him. “It wasn’t worth it, Stan, now-“

“There’s another way to stop the Prophecy to come true,” Stan cut in, his gaze fixed only on Craig and ignoring Damien’s talk completely. It wasn’t worth listening to anyway. “None of us has to die and in order to stop him I need my third eye. I will need all my power, from the past and from the future.”

Yellow eyes narrow at Stan, trying to wrap his mind around what was said to him. He hated it when people talked so cryptic, why didn’t he just tell him so they could leave? “What is it?” Craig finally questioned, wincing as he heard Wendy scream at Damien, hurt and the feeling of betrayal loud in the sound. “Tell me, Stan, tell me so we can finally leave and get all this behind us.”

At those words a sad smile grew on Stan’s lips and Craig immediately knew something was wrong. Even before the words were spoken Craig knew that he wouldn’t leave this planet with his lover. “I will freeze this room in time, including Damien,” explained the younger looking one. “But in order to keep this up and not letting him free again, I have to freeze myself, too.

Silence grew between the two and for a second Craig didn’t recognize the words. He didn’t want to recognize them, didn’t want to understand what Stan was telling him. Because this meant that he would lose him, he would have to leave him behind and never see him again. And Craig knew it was their only option, that or shooting Stan and that the former soldier couldn’t handle.

“There is no other way,” reassured Stan, leaning forward and pressing a kiss on Craig’s cheek, lingering there for a second. “You have to get the others out and get to safety.”

“No, I won’t leave you, can’t you freeze me with you?” Asked Craig, knowing how dumb the idea was but not wanting to imagine a life without Stan. He was desperate and later he would understand that this was a ridicules question. But damn, could you just leave the love of your life behind and keep on living?

“No, that’s… no,” Stan shook his head with a soft chuckle coming from his parted lips, eyes shining in tears that wouldn’t fall. “It would need more power of me, power I don’t have. And even when I’d have those powers I wouldn’t do it. Craig, you still have your whole life in front of you and Tricia and all your friends will need you. This universe still needs you and I also need you, alive and out there doing what’s right.”

Craig looked down at him and hid his face in Stan’s shoulder, hands around his waist. “Please don’t force me away from you… Let me stay here, let me be by your side when it happens.” The man was almost begging, ready to do whatever it took to convince Stan to let him stay till the very end.

Said man swallowed lightly before he nodded, leaning the side of his head against Craig’s hair. “But the others have to leave, I can’t work around them,” he clarified and got the weak bobbing of Craig’s head in return.

The former soldier lifted his hand to his mouth, pressing a button of hi communicator to talk to the others. “You have to get out, Stan knows how to defeat Damien but you have to get out.” He glanced over his shoulders and noticed the others looking at him, most of the people who had fought for Damien had already fled. Kenny was still fighting with Leslie, but his eyes found Craig’s for a second and he nodded. Instead of simply stopping to fight, he fought Leslie out of the room. Wendy and Bebe helped to carry out David’s corpse.

Meanwhile, Damien noticed them retreating and as he wanted to attack them, Tweek attacked back. He bought them enough time to get close to the ships before he ran after them. Damien looked perplexed before he chuckled and shook his head. “Whatever, run as far as you want. The Universe is endless and so will be its destruction,” he called after them, then turned around and froze as he noticed Craig still leaning on Stan. One of his eyebrows cocked up and he took slow steps towards them. “Don’t you want to run with your little friends?”

“Would it change something?” Asked Craig, leaning back to look at Stan, not wasting any second to Damien.

The older man clicked his tongue before he shrugged. “Not really, but you will be the first to die.”

Craig didn’t answer, instead placed his hands on Stan’s cheeks and looking at him, tears prominent in his eyes. It hurt him to see his lover like that, spending his last seconds chained to this little platform, unable to wrap his arms around him. So Craig wrapped his around Stan instead, providing him with all the warmth he could muster and kissing him lovely. The smaller one immediately kissed back and moved against Craig’s lips, smiling into the kiss.

Damien scoffed in disgust, but that didn’t bother the pair as their lips kept moving. Both cherished this kiss, knowing it would be special and their second best kiss. Their first one would be unbeaten. After a while Stan pulled back, smiling up at his boyfriend and leaning into him. “It’s time,” he whispered, eyes closed as he enjoyed the proximity they shared. Craig looked down at him and pressed his forehead against the junction of Stan’s neck, taking a deep breath. “I love you,” he said against the younger’s skin. “I love you so much…”

“I know,” Stan whispered back, tears finally flowing over and running down his cheek. His eyes were fixed on Damien who watched them, confusion visible in all his eyes. “And I love you too.” When he finished the sentence, Stan started to frown deeply and all three of his eyes started to shine in a bright blue. Around his skin patterns were shown, looking like cracks and a brick wall, shining just as bright. A loud scream, echoing around the room, came from him to show that he wasn’t scared, that he was ready to do this.

That he would defeat the monster standing across from him and safe everyone.

It was already too late when Damien noticed what was happening, his feet already unable to move and surrounded by a thin layer of ice. Slowly it kept spreading, moving up his legs as he spat out every curse he could think of. “You can’t do this!” Damien yelled out, eyes wide and fangs showing to intimidate the other. “To keep me here you’d have to freeze yourself as well!” But Stan didn’t falter, he didn’t react when his body started to get surrounded in ice, too.

The layer of eyes spread around the whole room, taking everything Stan wanted. Only Craig and the coffin weren’t taken over, leaving them free. Damien kept struggling, trying to grab the ice and scratching it off, but he had not chance. Who would have thought that the boy would sacrifice himself? Not Damien, he didn’t calculate this into his plan. He threw one last look over to the coffin, staring at the person lying in it and asking for forgiveness. There would be no chance for them to ever meet again and that was the only regret Damien felt when his complete body was frozen.

Craig slowly leaned back, watching of the ice spread around Stan’s body, slowly taking over his face. One last time he leaned into Stan, pressing their forehead together and just breathed the same air. “Goodbye,” he whispered against Stanley’s lips.

“…Goodbye, Craig,” the younger mumbled back. When Craig pressed his lips back onto Stan’s they were already frozen. His eyes found shining blue ones, staring into them as they were taken by the ice, too. Left behind was a figure of a young man who smiled fondly at his lover, a man who sacrificed himself in order to safe everyone else.

A man who was loved and had loved. And a man who would remain at exactly this spot, till the last starlight had died down in the universe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that was the ninth chapter of Till The Last Starlight!
> 
> So much to ‘the next chapter being faster’ xD  
> Sorry about that, Christmas stuff happened, personal stuff happened so yeah. 
> 
> But it’s out now and I hope you liked it! Next will be just a short Epilogue and that will be it! You will hear more from me there and I can promise it should be up in 1-3 days!
> 
> See you there! 
> 
> [Commissions are open!](https://natari-55.tumblr.com/post/629331436009324544/writing-commissions-are-open)  
> [My Tumblr!](https://natari-55.tumblr.com/)  
> [Support Me On Ko-fi!](https://ko-fi.com/natari)
> 
> Stay tuned!
> 
> Comments are always appreciated and a big motivation for every writer!


	10. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Mention of character death from former chapters
> 
> Not Beta-Read, so please excuse small errors!

_“Right now, McDaniels is walking up to the podium,”_ a reporter from the radio spoke, his voice slightly covered with boredom as he retold what was happening in Eusum. _“Right next to her, Testaburger and Stevens take their places as their speech will follow directly after.”_ A hand found the radio and clicked on the volume button, getting it louder in order to hear anything.

McDaniels could be heard clearing her throat before she started to talk. _“Dear inhabitants of the universe, today we met up to remember the happening from ten years ago. When a war pulled our society apart and took away who we loved the most. Family and friends. And for what? For a problem that could have been solved without violence. Violence The Unity Of The Universe apologized and regrets with every waking day.”_ The rustling of paper could be heard, of course she was reading from a speech prepared by her people. Wendy and Bebe had probably read over it to make sure nothing offences were in it. Because the government never really changed.

It got better though and that thanks to the people of the rebellion. Wendy and Bebe took over to lead them and ended the war by asking for an official talk to the Government, sending this out to almost the whole universe. And they accepted, because when they wouldn’t have, more people would have gotten on the side of the rebels.

So they met up and talked, deciding that the rebels turn into an official political party and be part of the government. They made sure that equality spread around the word and that McDaniels wouldn’t do anything bad. People felt safer now, ready to be part of the UOU, now that is actually wanted to connect the different galaxies and not just take over. It was thanks to the young couple that ten years later, peace was known almost everywhere in the universe.

 _“Ten years are nearly not enough for those wounds to heal, there is never enough time. Scars will always be left, but instead of mourning, let’s celebrate those brave warriors for fighting what they saw as right!”_ Cheering could be heard through the radio, some whistling out of excitement. _“I will now hand over to our dearest Wendy Testaburger.”_

More rustling, then another woman clearing her voice. Wendy. _“Thank you McDaniels for those warming words. And yes, today we should celebrate those souls, celebrate and think about them as we thank them for fighting for freedom, peace and equality. In this war we fought I lost a lot of people, people I were close with and who I still mourn for every night. They can’t come back, it’s impossible, but I hope that they’re watching us and see their legacy doing something wonderful. Knowing that they didn’t die for nothing.”_ Cheering again, louder than the one before. Wendy was more popular by the people than McDaniels, enough that everyone wanted her to become the president of the UOU.

For some people that sounded just like another war.

 _“And to not forget them and remember every one of them, we will read out every name. First the people who died for the government, then civilians and then from the former revolution.”_ Silence fell over as another person, some unknown man who was simply there to read, started the list. It was a random order, every year it was different to make sure that people actually paid attention.

Craig sighed and got up from his garden chair, making the radio a bit louder again to be able to hear it. Normally he wouldn’t care, but there were names he knew, names that belonged to faces. It made it all real and not just like a fever dream and he needed that grounding.

_Leopold ‘Butters’ Stotch_

_Scott Malkinson_

_Dr. Alphonse Mephesto_

_Mr. Mackey_

_Mrs. Nelson_

_P.C. Principle_

Those were the names he knew, people he had worked with or was friends with before his adventure started. A sigh came from Craig’s throat and he stopped in front of one of his Space Cows. The animal lifted its head and looked at him, chewing on the green grass it was eating. Behind it a little one was jumping around, enjoying the warmth from the sun.

When he heard a shriek he turned around, seeing Tricia and Karen cleaning one of the animals. After what happened and Wendy and Bebe were able to talk to the government, they promised Craig to get everything he wanted. He had asked for a farm, big enough to hold Space Cows, as many as he wanted, and a big house. Now his daily life was made out of taking care of those peaceful animals and of the farm.

Karen and Tricia were married and had decided to live with Craig and help him out. Though everyone knew that the main reason was that they didn’t want him to be alone. Craig accepted the help with opens arms, taking care of the fields, the cows and a room full of guinea pigs wasn’t easy. Even though Karen wasn’t able to help so much, with a baby growing inside her she wasn’t allowed to do a lot.

“Hey big man,” Kenny greeted after coming out of the house, a bandage around his torso. The Cyborg came over regularly to check on her and also on Craig, or to be patched up. He had made it his mission to find Leslie and finally take revenge on her. With the allowance of the Government. Sadly he didn’t get to catch her yet, but he said he had a good trace. “I missed Wendy?”

“Yeah, but she didn’t say that much,” retold Craig, while crawling the cow behind its ears. “They’re reading the names of the Government people right now.”

“Hm,” hummed the blonde, patting the cow on its back. “Don’t really care about those, to be honest.”

“I know, but I do.”

“Yeah, sorry, I didn’t-“

“It’s okay, Kenny, I get it.” An uncomfortable silence fell over them, Kenny bit his lower lip and exhaled deeply. “Is there something I can help with?”

“No, you’re still injured and shouldn’t move a lot. But you could call Christophe and ask him to come over as soon as possible to repair my tractor,” mentioned the black haired man, remembering that it died a few days ago. He had another one, but he didn’t like the second choice that much. And Christophe always was cheap for them. After he declined to work for the government as a Mecha pilot, not able to forgive Gregory’s death, he opened his own workshop.

Helios was now used for fast travels through the universe, no more fighting.

“Alright, I’ll do that then!” Announced Kenny before jogging back to the house and past Karen and Tricia. He talked to them for a bit before disappearing in the building. Craig looked back to the radio and picked it up to carry it around as he worked.

In the middle of the day the last name of the government fell, only to be continued with names of civilians. There was only one name he knew, but didn’t care about that much. It was from the robot they met and always altered the memory of.

_A.W.E.S.O.M.-O 4000_

The poor robot had been found by the government one day and taken apart so his metal could be used. Craig didn’t care much about him, but he got angry because it was a useless death. Even when the robot couldn’t feel any pain, he had lived.

Craig was watering the fields when a person walked towards him. The noirette had to narrow his eyes from the sun in order to recognize them. “You’re finally awake, stayed up all night again?”

“Yes, I’m sorry,” apologized Philip with a small bow of his head, their blonde hair tied together in the back. “I had weird dream again, of him, or our past. When I woke up I couldn’t fall asleep again. When I finally fell asleep everyone else was up already.” The blonde rubbed their arm in slight discomfort. “I know I have my duties and I will immediately get to them now.”

“It’s fine,” Craig waved it off like it wasn’t important. “There wasn’t much to do today anyway. And I understand this, those dreams you have with the one you loved, only to be ripped out of them again and forced to stay awake all alone…”

Pip bobbed their head in a nod, some of their strands coming loose and falling in their face. When Damien and his computer were frozen in time, Philip was left behind in the glass coffin. They woke up when the coffin was opened, only to see Damien and scream in horror. After medicals took care of them, making sure their vitals were okay and their brain not damaged, questions were asked.

The blonde explained that they had met Damien and the two fell immediately in love. But Pip used to be sick, plagued by something medicals didn’t find an answer when they were still awake. Damien used to promise them the universe and that time wouldn’t be important soon and they could be together forever.

Then Damien put Philip in this coffin, saying he would wake them up soon, when the time had come. But Damien’s plans didn’t work out and now Philip had no one. They loved Damien, even after hearing what he had done and accepted to be punished for not stopping him. Even though they hadn’t known about the man’s plan. Wendy said it would be useless to punish them for something like that and that they needed a place to stay.

It was Karen’s idea to take him in and that they could help out on the farm. Surly people would try to hurt Pip when they heard who they belonged to before the war was over. Craig agreed after talking with Tricia about it, saying a helping hand would be nice and that Pip lost his most important just like Craig did.

So now the blonde helped out on the farm by taking care of the animals, putting stuff where it belonged and with organizations. 

“You could go back inside and check the deliveries of the pet food, making sure I didn’t miss anything,” ordered Craig. “And also start with dinner?”

Philip smiled softly at him. “I’ll do that then, how about mashed potatoes with carrots and pork?” To that the noirette nodded and the blonde chuckled before walking back to the house. Craig returned to his work.

The sun was almost ready to go down when finally the names of the Rebellions were called. Craig was sitting in the hayloft and watched his friends and family playing with the cows. Karen and Tricia telling Kenny to ride one, meanwhile Pip played with one of the babies. Fast, Craig took out his phone and sent the Cyborg a message, knowing that he wanted to hear those names as well.

Within a second the blonde had jumped of the cow, which hadn’t even noticed the man on top of her, and excused himself before running to the barn. He joined Craig and sat down next to him, only the radio between them as their legs hang out of the barn, dangling in the air.

_Big Gay Al_

_Mike Makowski_

_Jerome ‘Chef’ McElroy_

_Queen Red_

_Gary Harrison_

Hearing those names stung in Craig’s chest and nothing could dull this pain he felt. Those were his friends and he missed them, even Gary. What made it worse was that the Alien Regime had fallen into Chaos since their Queen and her right hand man had both fallen in the war. Until now they weren’t able to find a new leader and fights had broken out on the planet. Bebe and Wendy did everything to help them, but everyone knew that this was something that couldn’t be fixed.

Craig just waited for the news of the Regime to fall completely apart and stop to exist, their people spreading out in space t find new room to live.

_Henrietta Biggle_

_Gregory Of Yardale_

_Michael Rogers_

When Gregory’s name fell, both Craig and Kenny took a big gulp of their beers – Knowing that Christophe was doing the exact same. He never missed when Gregory’s name was called out, he sat in front of the radio all day. And maybe his eyes were puffy from tears and his voice hoarse from all the sobs. But he would never admit this to the others.

_Peter Thelman_

_Firkle Smith_

_David Rodriguez_

Another gulp, this time knowing that Tweek wouldn’t take one. The leader of the Wargorgs wouldn’t even listen to the radio. His people had their own way of remembering their lost ones and surly listening to the name in the radio wasn’t one. Instead they spent the day feasting, dancing and singing out the names. Yelling them all across their camp and asking them to watch over the living ones. And at night they’d watch the stars, telling tales and remembering their greatest times.

Tweek had invited them once, but Craig and the others declined, they had their own way of mourning, just like the Wargorgs. The leader accepted it without saying another word, asking them to come visit whenever they want. And even though Tweek had to take care of his people, he always found the time for his friends. It was remarkable, really.

_Kyle Broflovski_

There was no glance necessary to know Kenny had haltered, to see his tears running down his cheeks as he heard the name of his lover. The Cyborg always tried to control his emotions, but in the end he always lost. He couldn’t control the tears escaping the corner of his eyes or the heavy sobs. Because every time he heard that name he saw the green eyes and red fiery curls. The freckles and green ushanka. He felt Kyle’s touch in his skin and voice in his ears.

And the emptiness he left behind. But also his love. All his love.

Craig looked down at his beer, remembering the times with his best friend. Them in school, in the disco with Al and the others. Or when Kyle scolded him for drinking too much _again_ when he had a mission the next day. He almost heard his nagging and it forced a soft chuckle out.

Next to him the blonde chuckled as well. They had learned a long time ago that even though tears felt good, laughing felt even better. Why remember the sad times when there were so many goods to remember instead?

And so they laughed and told stories until the sun set and the moon was up. Kenny, after having one beer too much, stood up and left for bed. Craig watched him, he was still on his first beer – he never drank much that day. He just didn’t feel the need to forget or cheer himself up.

_Stanley Marsh_

A shark inhale of air and then there was no breathing. For second Craig couldn’t control his body, his heart beating wildly in his chest and breath not coming. Only when three other names had been called out did his control return. He bit the inside of his cheeks as his gaze found the night sky. Stars were shining down on him, some shooting stars rushing past.

But Craig had stopped wishing on them a long time ago. He knew it would be useless.

Instead he looked at the moon, big and present just like the pain in the noirette’s chest. Not always visible but still there. And even though it was getting easier to deal with the pain, with the knowledge that Stan wasn’t dead, he was alive and simply frozen in time, it hurt so badly.

Craig flinched when one of the cows mooed up at him, its big eyes full of interest and peace. With a chuckle Craig got up and climbed down from the hayloft, walking over to the animal and petting it. “Stan would have loved you, you are the cuddliest of all of them.” He got a moo as answer and a nudge against his chest.

This was Stan’s legacy; everything that was alive was thanks to him. There wouldn’t be a shelter for space cows like this, there wouldn’t be this planets. There wouldn’t be Craig.

Now he stood there, cuddling the cow and remembering his lover. How he smiled and his excitement when he first saw the animals. Or how embarrassed he was when he couldn’t tie his shoes alone. His ebony hair and those blue eyes. Craig would never be able to forget him and he had the hope that maybe one day Stan could free himself and travel around. Hopefully he would get to live the life he deserved to have.

When the last name fell Craig switched off the radio. The cow had fallen asleep and it was time for Craig to do the same. Everyone had to get up early the next day; they wanted to get shopping for Karen’s and Tricia’s soon-to-be daughter.

Kylie Stana Tucker-McCormick.

And Craig would get her a guinea pig plushy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that was ‘Till The Last Starlight’, my first Staig-Fanfiction and try in writing a Sci-Fi fanfiction.
> 
> Can’t believe that we got to the end of this Universe, I feel sad about leaving it behind, but also happy that I got to finish this piece. While writing this I learned a lot and had a lot of fun most of the times. Hopefully you could enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who read till the very end, left kudos or commented. You’re the motivation a writer needs in their life and I am thankful for all of you!
> 
> Even though the story of Craig and Stan is over, I am not completely through with this Alternative Universe. In the back of my head is the idea of a Sequel about Kenny’s chase after Leslie and revenge for Kyle, filled with short stories about the two characters and their relationship. But this will happen once I feel the big need to return to this Universe, after I wrote different stuff.
> 
> Until then I hope to see some of you in other works of mine, be it in the ones already posted or future ones.
> 
> My next Fanfiction won’t be for the South Park Fandom, but Gravity Falls. From now on I will always write on a South Park and a Gravity Falls one, until I run out of ideas, find more inspiration for one of those Fandoms or simply find another Fandom I want to write for. 
> 
> But yeah, that’s it. 
> 
> Till The Last Starlight is over and it was an honor to bring that story to you. 
> 
> Thank you and Goodbye. 
> 
> P.S. Stana is a common name in Serbia and Croatia.
> 
> [Commissions are open!](https://natari-55.tumblr.com/post/629331436009324544/writing-commissions-are-open)  
> [My Tumblr!](https://natari-55.tumblr.com/)  
> [Support Me On Ko-fi!](https://ko-fi.com/natari)
> 
> Comments are always appreciated and a source of motivation and inspiration!


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